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8 scientific ways to lower cholesterol without medication

Eat monounsaturated fat

If you want to lower your cholesterol, you don’t need to completely eliminate fat from your diet. Research shows that a low-fat diet actually lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol. At the same time, the level of “good” cholesterol – high density lipoproteins (HDL) – decreases.

Monounsaturated fats, on the other hand, lower bad cholesterol and do not affect good. They also inhibit the oxidation of LDL, which makes atherosclerotic plaques grow more slowly.

Monounsaturated fats are abundant in olive and rapeseed oil, tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews) and avocados.

Eat polyunsaturated fat

Polyunsaturated fats lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and reduce the risk of heart disease.

For example, in one experiment Norwegian scientists from the University of Oslo replaced saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats in the diet of 115 adults. After eight weeks, her total and LDL cholesterol levels dropped by 10%.

In a different research Harvard Medical School was attended by 13,614 adults. They replaced 15% of their total calories with polyunsaturated fats. The risk of developing ischemic heart diseases decreased by almost 20%.

Polyunsaturated fats also reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. It is enough to replace 5% of the calories of the entire diet with polyunsaturated fats to reduce the risk of this disease.

There are a lot of polyunsaturated fats in walnuts, fish (salmon, tuna, trout) and vegetable oils: soybean, corn and sunflower.

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Avoid trans fats

Transgender Are solid fats that are made from liquid vegetable oils using a chemical hydrogenation procedure. They are also called that: hydrogenated fats. They are very unhealthy: they increase bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol.

A 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that trans fats are responsible for 8% of deaths from cardiovascular disease.

Other study Claims New York’s Trans Fat Law Will Reduce Heart Disease Deaths By 4.5%

Trans fats include margarine and spreads. There are also many of them in baked goods and confectionery products.

Add soluble fiber to your food

It is needed by the beneficial bacteria that live in the intestines. These microorganisms reduce the levels of low and very low density lipoproteins.

For example, in one research Scientists from the University of Minnesota, a group of men ate a breakfast of oatmeal with soluble fiber for six weeks. As a result, the cholesterol level dropped by 4-6%.

There is a lot of soluble fiber in beans and peas. lentils, fruits, oats, and whole grains. You can also take special nutritional supplements with this component.

Exercise

Analysis of 13 studies, published in the journal Sports Medicine, showed that just 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week is enough to raise cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Even low-intensity exercise like brisk walking is fine.

2019 study of 425 older adults showedthat moderate physical activity lowers blood pressure, blood sugar and increases the level of “good” HDL cholesterol.

Another bonus of physical training: it helps you lose weight.

Even a few extra pounds contribute to high cholesterol levels.

A two-year study by Swiss scientists at the Institute of Clinical Chemistry in Bern showed that weight loss increases good cholesterol. The level of harmful has not changed.

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Quit smoking

Normally, immune cells remove cholesterol from the vessel walls into the bloodstream for transport to the liver. In smokers, this mechanism is impaired, which is why atherosclerotic plaques grow faster. Research confirms this.

For example, a four-year follow-up of more than 7,000 cases of heart attack and stroke showed that smoking is associated with an increase in total cholesterol and a decrease in good cholesterol.

Quitting a bad habit allows you to reverse this process.

Give up alcohol

there is limited evidencethat a moderate amount of wine raises HDL levels and reduces the risk of heart disease. In one small study, Dutch scientists found that drinking 24 grams of alcohol from white wine daily increased HDL levels by 5%. Those subjects who drank grape juice did not have such changes.

Other study suggests that alcohol also improves the reverse transport of cholesterol from the vessel walls to the blood and liver. This reduces the risk of clogged arteries. However, further research is needed to confirm this. So if you don’t drink alcohol, don’t start.

If you drink, do so in moderation. Women of any age and men over 65 can drink one alcohol per day. Men under 65 – up to two a day. One serving is a mug of beer (330 ml), a glass of wine (140 ml) or a shot of vodka (40 ml).

But the main thing – remember that a complete rejection of alcohol is always better than a partial one. According to large-scale studyconducted for 26 years, even small doses of alcohol have a negative effect on the body.

What to do if it doesn’t work

All of the above methods doctors call one phrase: “lifestyle change.” This is the first stage in the treatment of many diseases. If it doesn’t work, you can’t do without medication. Go to your therapist, and he will select the right drugs.

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