Hey there, viewers! Most people are afraid of cholesterol, but the truth is your body
needs it to make several hormones. It also helps keep the walls of your cells
flexible. But just like everything else in life, too much cholesterol is harmful.
Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, can lead to clogged arteries,
heart attacks and kidney failure. In today’s video,
we’ll discuss natural ways to lower your high cholesterol levels. Why should you rid
your diet of trans fat? Why should you also eat fish? We’ll talk about all of these AND more…
(Pause) To begin, you need to get rid of trans fat.
Trans fat is a kind of dietary fat that can damage your overall health and increase the risk of heart
disease. Trans fat is made by changing unsaturated fats to make the fat in vegetable oil a bit more
stable. This is done through something called hydrogenation (high-drawj-uh-nation). The fats you
get from this process are not fully saturated, and are referred to as partially hydrogenated oils.
These fats can be solid at room temperature, and work well with
spreads and pastries. It also increases the shelf life of these products. But,
what’s good on the shelf is not necessarily good for your body.
Eating trans fats through fast food and other products increases LDL cholesterol.
At the same time, they also decrease HDL, which is your “good” cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol is dangerous because it can stick to arteries, collect in the vessel lining,
and block blood flow. HDL cholesterol is good because it takes cholesterol away from
the blood and returns it to the liver. You want your HDL levels to be high and
LDL levels to be low. Quitting trans fat would help with that.
You may not even know that the foods you eat regularly have trans fats. For example,
the popcorn you enjoy while watching movies has a large amount of trans fat. If you want to avoid
them, steer clear of store-bought popcorn. That’s because they’re made with partially hydrogenated
vegetable oil. It’s best to make your own at home. Fried foods have a lot of trans fats,
while some pizzas and non-dairy coffee creamers are also loaded with it.
In a global study, it was seen that eating too many trans fats can significantly increase your
chances of death from coronary heart disease. This is especially true when
the increase in trans fats is combined with only a small amount of polyunsaturated fats.
You should check the labels of the foods you eat to see if they have trans fats. Sometimes
companies can round down the level of trans fats and suggest there are none at all. You should
look for “partially hydrogenated” on the label. If you see this, you should avoid the product.
(Pause) You also need to maintain a healthy weight.
When you’re obese, there’s a greater chance of high cholesterol in your body. For every
10 pounds of extra fat on your body, around 10 milligrams of cholesterol is produced each day.
But, there is a way to reduce these cholesterol levels. Research suggests that those who reduce
their weight by 5 to 10% can bring their LDL cholesterol levels down significantly. It also
brings down triglycerides, reducing your risk of stroke or heart attack.
A study among women who were overweight or obese was conducted over the course of one year. They
participated in a behavioral weight loss program and were also assigned around one to three diets.
These diets were a mix of carbohydrates and fats, including walnut-rich high fat.
The studies showed that walnut-rich high fat had the greatest effect on cholesterol. It reduced LDL
levels, while increasing HDL. The overall results of the study showed a diet rich in healthy oils
decreases bad cholesterol. (Pause)
Exercise regularly to bring your cholesterol levels down.
Exercise has many benefits, including improving physical fitness and reducing weight. It also
helps bring down LDL levels and increase HDL cholesterol in your body. Experts suggest that
around 150 minutes of exercise every week would be enough to reduce your cholesterol levels.
A study was conducted among 20 overweight women for 12 weeks. The participants exercised
for around 15 minutes three days a week, with a combination of resistance training
and aerobic exercises. The results showed a marked decrease in LDL cholesterol levels.
Low-intensity exercises such as walking can improve your HDL levels. But, doing
more intense exercises for a longer period can be even better. If your exercise levels increase your
heart activity to 85%, it maximizes the benefits of HDL and reduces LDL by a much larger margin.
Doing resistance training at moderate levels can decrease your LDL. But,
if you want to improve your HDL levels, along with bringing down your LDL, make sure you do
resistance training at maximum intensity. The longer you do the resistance training,
the greater the benefits will be. (Pause)
Watch your alcohol intake if you want to keep your cholesterol levels under control.
Red wine has long been considered good for your health, but only when you drink it in
moderation. Studies suggest it can improve HDL cholesterol when you drink it in tiny amounts.
Other experts say this may not be the case. There is certainly a small increase in HDL,
but you’re likely to get better results through exercise. Drinking alcohol is
also a slippery slope. If you have one glass of wine, it’s often hard to resist having another.
When you drink higher amounts of alcohol, it increases your LDL and triglyceride levels.
Research suggests that high alcohol consumption will damage your heart
long before you start seeing symptoms. If you need to drink alcohol, it’s recommended
that men restrict themselves to just two drinks in a day. For women, they should only have one.
Now this doesn’t give you a free pass to drink every day of the week. These limitations should
be for special occasions. This way, you don’t go overboard and hurt your cholesterol levels.
(Pause) You need to stop smoking immediately.
You thought drinking was bad? Another vice that can really increase your bad cholesterol is
smoking. When you smoke cigarettes, the tobacco changes the way your body processes cholesterol.
The immune cells in your body won’t be able to get the cholesterol in your blood
to take it back to the liver, leaving them on the vessel walls. The more this happens,
the faster you end up with clogged arteries. Another problem with cigarettes is a chemical
called acrolein (ah-kruh-leen) which is toxic. This chemical gets into your
bloodstream from your lungs. Experts suggest acrolein weakens the process where HDL is
transported through your body, increasing LDL and causing heart-related diseases.
If you’ve never smoked before, avoid picking up the habit. But if you already smoke,
it’s important you give it up as soon as you can. You’ll just mess up your heart and increase your
bad cholesterol. (Pause)
You can try a low cholesterol diet. Your diet plays a vital role in improving
your good cholesterol levels, and reducing LDL. Instead of focusing on one or two foods to help
moderate your cholesterol, you should have a wide variety. This will increase the benefits.
A mostly vegetarian diet can help reduce your LDL and triglyceride levels. It can also bring down
your blood pressure. Make sure you eat lots of fruits and vegetables daily. Go for whole
grains instead of the highly refined types. There is a wide variety of foods you can
choose from to increase soluble fiber in your diet. Oats, okra, barley,
and eggplant are all packed with soluble fiber. Soy protein and almonds are other good choices.
It may be easier to pop a pill to reduce LDL levels. But focusing more on your diet can
have long-term benefits. Pills can also cause muscle problems and other side effects you won’t
face with a diet full of fruits and vegetables. Supplements can also help reduce your cholesterol
levels. But nothing beats the health benefits you get from natural foods. When you focus on a
low cholesterol diet, you see other improvements like better bone health. It also improves your
digestion and increases your mental health. (Pause)
Fill up on fiber if you want to see your cholesterol levels drop.
Eating high-fiber foods like oatmeal, apples and prunes can keep your body from absorbing
cholesterol. Focus on eating soluble fiber. The beneficial
bacteria living in your gut can digest it. Experts believe these good bacteria,
also known as probiotics, can lower your bad cholesterol levels significantly.
Wondering what the best sources of soluble fiber are? Well, you can eat beans,
lentils, and Brussel sprouts to start. These will activate the probiotics. Flaxseeds and peas are
also great options. (Pause)
Eating fish has a positive impact on your cholesterol.
If you want to lower your cholesterol levels, try eating fish two to four times
a week. I’m not just talking about any fish. Fatty fish that’s rich in omega-3
is especially good for you. Salmon, mackerel, and tuna are great options. The omega-3 fatty
acids do a lot of good for your heart. You can even use this fish to replace red meat.
This will lower your cholesterol levels by reducing your exposure to saturated fats,
which red meat has way too much of. Omega-3’s are the heart-healthy type of polyunsaturated
fats that will not only lower your cholesterol, but also decrease your risk of type-2 diabetes.
Low cholesterol levels are necessary if you want to keep your heart in shape. But,
that’s not all you need to do. Interested in learning more? Let’s keep the conversation
going with a couple more videos, shall we? Check out 15 Early Warning Signs Of Heart
Disease You Should Look Out For! You can also try our video on Foods
That Clean Your Arteries & Prevent Heart Attacks. Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both,
and learn more about how to keep your heart healthy. Will you be
trying any of these natural ways to lower your cholesterol? Let us know in the comments below!