At the word “cholesterol”, we frown in annoyance, imagining fatty plaques on the walls of blood vessels, overweight, the threat of a heart attack and other horrors that modern propaganda of a healthy lifestyle scares us with. But before giving this concept an almost abusive meaning, let’s figure out what cholesterol is and what is its role in our body?
Cholesterol is a building material with the help of which cells are renewed and vital substances are produced: hormones, enzymes. About 80% of the liver provides us with cholesterol, but we must get another 20% from food to stay healthy. The name of the person involved in today’s conversation is formed from two Latin words: bile (chole) and solid (stereo), since cholesterol was first discovered in the form of a solid yellow substance in gallstones. But if we need it so much, then why does everyone say that an excess of cholesterol threatens a person with negative consequences?
There are two types of cholesterol:
LDL – low density lipoprotein;
HDL – high density lipoprotein.
The first type is called “bad” cholesterol, and the second type is called “good”. The fundamental difference between them is not in the chemical composition, but in the structure and physical properties.
Bad cholesterol is liquid and sticky, so when it leaves the liver, it spreads through the vessels and sticks to their walls, especially in those places where there are damage, worn areas and irregularities. Of course, the older the person, the more such defects he has, and the higher the risk of formation of cholesterol plaques.
Good cholesterol is dense and hard, so on the contrary, like a dish brush, it cleans debris from the inner surface of blood vessels. That is why it is safe to say that not only an excess of bad cholesterol, but also a lack of good cholesterol leads to negative health consequences. And if we want to reliably insure against atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke, we need to move in two directions at once, moreover, increasing the level of good cholesterol is much more important than reducing the level of bad.
Anyone over 45 years of age who is overweight should take a blood test twice a year to determine the level of LDL, HDL and triglycerides in order to take timely action in case of a critical imbalance. And today we will tell you how you can quickly and effectively lower the level of bad cholesterol and raise the level of good cholesterol at home, without resorting to medication, in order to maintain good health for many years.
Ways to lower blood cholesterol levels without pills
The first thing that comes to mind is, of course, a change in diet, because the lipid balance of our blood depends on the foods we eat. But we will start this important conversation not with diet, but with physical activity. Just by making friends with sports and regularly finding time for simple and pleasant activities, you can significantly improve your health.
How to increase the level of “good” cholesterol and reduce the level of “bad” through exercise?
Cardiologists and fitness trainers reveal the secrets of excellent health and reliable protection against cardiovascular diseases:
Aerobic exercise, especially running, is the best way to cope with bad cholesterol. When a person performs monotonous rhythmic movements in the open air for a long time, an even, slightly rapid pulse is established in him. At the same time, oxygen entering the blood ensures the gradual burning of fatty deposits, including bad cholesterol inside the vessels. He simply does not have time to linger and be deposited in the form of dangerous atherosclerotic plaques. It has been proven that professional runners burn LDL in the blood 70% faster than people who do not play sports at all;
Human muscles must constantly be in good shape, this prevents bad cholesterol from doing its “dirty deed”. Therefore, even older people who are overweight and have complex health problems should, by all means, give themselves feasible physical activity: walk in the fresh air, ride a bike, dig in the garden. The longer a person lies on the bed, indulging in apathy and bad mood, the sooner the day will come when he will not be able to get out of this bed at all;
Studies by Western cardiologists show that in older patients, every morning taking a forty-minute walk in the fresh air, the risk of sudden death from heart attack and stroke is halved – by 50%! It is only important to ensure that the pulse of an elderly person during walks does not increase by more than 15 beats from a physiologically normal value.
9 Proven Steps to Lower LDL Cholesterol
1 Step one: quit smoking
The detrimental effect of smoking on health lies not only in the clogging of the lungs with tar and the development of persistent nicotine addiction. Regularly buying cigarettes, a person buys infertility, impotence and cancer with his own money. The whole organism is gradually destroyed: the brain, lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, blood vessels. There is no organ or tissue type that is not affected by smoking. Not only that: modern cigarette manufacturers are doing everything to make their products as cheap as possible. And this means that there is less than half of natural tobacco in a pack, everything else is chemical additives, flavorings, essential resins and carcinogens.
2 Step Two: The Right Approach to Drinking Alcohol
Extremes are rarely beneficial, and a person’s attitude to alcohol is no exception. Alcohol abuse is very harmful: in addition to the formation of persistent addiction and the loss of moral character, alcoholism leads to the gradual destruction of the brain, liver, kidneys and blood vessels. But the complete rejection of alcohol is a loss of natural opportunities, since high-quality alcohol in small doses has a beneficial effect on the composition of the blood and the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
The advice of doctors on this matter is contradictory: someone threatens with a green snake, and someone calls to discard obscurantism and drink moderately. This is a tribute to fashion, but human history is a much more serious indicator than the momentary mood of the medical community, lobbied by drug and alcohol manufacturers. Countries where the consumption of good wines and spirits is an integral part of the culture show higher life expectancy rates, and not as depressing statistics of death from cardiovascular diseases as in Russia. Let’s take the same France, Spain, Portugal or Scotland with its love for good whiskey.
So how much should you drink to lower your bad cholesterol? For this, 10 ml of strong alcohol or 40 ml of dry red wine per day is enough. No less and no more. For our mentality, these are ridiculous numbers: it is believed that if you drink, then drink. But the right drinking culture does not mean the desire to get drunk, but the dosed use of good alcohol at lunch or dinner to improve digestion and enrich blood composition.
3 Step three: green tea instead of coffee
If health basically allows you to drink drinks containing caffeine, then let it be not coffee, but natural green tea. It contains flavonoids, which contribute to the breakdown of LDL, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and capillaries, and increase HDL levels. It is important to learn how to brew this drink correctly, and how to use it correctly. Green tea should not be strong and bitter, and it is recommended to have a tea party no more than twice a day, and in the first half of the day.
4 Step four: juice therapy
Natural organic acids contained in freshly squeezed juices from fruits and vegetables effectively dissolve bad cholesterol, and therefore are the fastest and most effective way to cleanse blood vessels at home. Juices are also a delicious source of vitamins, minerals, fiber and just a good mood. They heal, rejuvenate, help fight excess weight, cellulite and atherosclerosis, improve complexion, the quality of nails, skin and hair. Therefore, buying a convenient, high-tech juicer is a smart investment in your health and the health of your family.
A five-day course of cleansing blood vessels from bad cholesterol with the help of freshly squeezed juices is carried out according to the following scheme:
1 day: 130 ml carrot juice + 70 ml celery stalk juice;
2-th day: 100 ml carrot juice + 70 ml cucumber juice + 70 ml beetroot juice, kept in the refrigerator for 2 hours to remove unwanted substances;
3rd day: 130 ml carrot juice + 70 ml apple juice + 70 ml celery stalk juice;
4st day:130 ml carrot juice + 50 ml cabbage juice;
5st day: 130 ml of orange juice.
5 Step Five: Fish Oil and Coenzyme Q10
Regular intake of fish oil significantly improves levels of C-reactive protein in the blood, the so-called CRP. There are two more essential amino acids for human health: DHA and EPA, the content of which can be artificially increased.
How to provide yourself with essential amino acids? For example, you can take Coenzyme Q10 at a dosage of 90 mg / day, this will allow you to increase the level of DHA in the blood by 50% in a few months. However, keep in mind that taking statins (drugs that lower LDL levels) together with coenzyme Q10 is undesirable, since in this combination the coenzyme is less absorbed.
6 Step Six: Eliminate Trans Fats
Trans fats are a real disaster of our time, because they are the bad cholesterol in its pure form, moreover, they are found in almost all finished products: confectionery, fast food, sausages and sausages, margarine and mayonnaise. Whatever we buy in the store, wanting to save time on cooking, we will get trans fats that will be deposited on the walls of our vessels.
Just remove 2 grams of trans fats from the menu, subtract only twenty (but the most harmful) from two thousand kilocalories and you will make yourself the best gift.
When buying ready-made products in the store, carefully read the information on the label. If it says that the product does not contain trans fats, in practice this means that there is less than 0,5 g of it per serving. And yet – under the terms “saturated” or “hydrogenated” hides the same trans fat that threatens us with diabetes, heart attack, stroke and cancer.
7 Step Seven: Taking Magnesium
The endothelial cells that line our blood vessels from the inside cannot effectively repel LDL molecules if they lack magnesium. A deficiency of this valuable mineral leads not only to an increase in the level of bad cholesterol, but also to the development of migraines, muscle and heart weakness, angina pectoris and ischemia.
If you are diagnosed with magnesium deficiency, it is recommended to start taking it at a dosage of 250 mg per day, and it is best when combined with calcium, since this micronutrient is better absorbed and provides more benefits. It is recommended to add oily fish, whole grain bread, pumpkin seeds and germinated wheat grains to the diet – these are the best natural sources of magnesium.
8 Step Eight: Reduce Sugar
A lot has been said about the dangers of white sugar, but do you know how much its excess consumption exacerbates the situation with high levels of bad and low levels of good cholesterol?
It is also important that the sharp jumps in blood sugar levels that occur due to the intake of large doses of simple carbohydrates increase the stickiness of red blood cells, that is, they thicken the blood and provoke the formation of blood clots. Therefore, if you want to protect yourself from atherosclerosis and thrombosis, reduce your sugar intake or give it up completely, replacing, for example, with natural honey.
9 Step Nine: Take Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is called a solar vitamin: for example, during one day of staying on the beach, our skin cells produce from 10-20 thousand IU of this valuable substance, but even residents of sunny, warm regions suffer from vitamin D3 deficiency. According to various estimates, from 60 to 80% of the population of our country need to take vitamin supplements so that the condition of blood vessels, skin and bones remains good until old age.
Previously, it was believed that vitamin D3 should not be taken in large doses, because then it can have a toxic effect on the body.
You can also provide yourself with an important vitamin in a natural way: for example, in a glass of whole cow’s milk it is about 100 IU, and in a hundred grams of oily sockeye salmon – as much as 675M.E. Please note that taking vitamin D3 capsules or tablets is contraindicated in people with severe kidney and thyroid dysfunction, as well as patients with sarcoidosis.
[Video] Dr. Berg – Best Cholesterol Remedy: