Home
Remedy Treatments for High Cholesterol
Definition
It is never too early -- or too late -- to act on
lowering your cholesterol. Although people with a total blood cholesterol
level over 240 are considered to have the greatest risk of heart
disease, the numbers can be a bit misleading, because most heart attacks
occur in people whose cholesterol is below 250. So if your total
cholesterol puts you in a low- or borderline-risk group, don't
assume it's safe for you to ignore your lifestyle habits. Likewise,
if you've already had a heart attack or been diagnosed with heart disease,
there's no need to throw in the towel. There's still plenty you can
do to prevent another attack, and home remedies are available to keep
your disease from worsening.
Make some permanent changes. Making a commitment to lowering blood cholesterol
and improving heart health requires a change of mind-set and daily
habits for the long haul, not a temporary fad diet. Adopting
a healthier lifestyle also means avoiding "yo-yo" dieting
-- losing weight and gaining it back repeatedly. Yo-yo dieting
has been shown to cause cholesterol levels to rise.
Ignore the magic bullets. This week it's rice bran, last week it was garlic,
the week before it was oat bran and fish oil. All were touted as the
solution to your cholesterol problem. While it's the American
way to search for shortcuts, such an approach just doesn't cut it when
you're dealing with your health.
Stay away from saturated fats. It might
seem counterintuitive, but while the amount of cholesterol in
your diet has some effect on the level of cholesterol in
your blood, it's actually the amount of saturated fat you consume that
has the greatest dietary influence on your blood cholesterol
levels. The more saturated fat -- the kind found in dairy products
made from whole milk, the marbling in red meat, the skin of poultry,
and certain oils commonly used in commercially prepared baked goods
-- in your diet, the more cholesterol in your blood. Be
sure to check food labels to compare the saturated-fat content and choose
the one with the lowest.
Avoid trans fats. Another culprit is partially hydrogenated vegetable
oil, which contains Tran’s fatty acids, substances that increase the
cholesterol-raising properties of a fat. Tran’s fats are found in processed
baked goods, margarines, and many other foods. Check margarine
labels and buy trans-fat-free margarine. (You might also ask your doctor
if it is worthwhile for you to try one of the new margarines spiked
with substances called plant sterols and stanols. They tend to be more
expensive than regular margarines, but consuming one of these special
margarines may lower LDL cholesterol by up to 14 percent when it replaces
other sources of fat in your diet.) Choose snack foods
without partially hydrogenated fats; again, be sure to check labels.
Let TLC guide you. The TLC -- Therapeutic
Lifestyle Changes --
Diet is a dietary plan from
the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute designed to help people
with heart disease or those at high risk for developing it (such as
those with high blood cholesterol levels).
It is a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol that will help reduce your blood cholesterol
level to decrease your chance of developing
heart disease or experiencing future
heart attacks and other heart disease complications.
Learn to count grams of fat. The TLC
Diet outlines the percentages of daily calories that should come from
saturated fat and total fat. And it's true that most package labels
these days indicate what percentage of a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet
the specific food would contribute in calories, fat, and saturated fat.
But what do you do if your recommended daily calorie intake is well
above or below 2,000? You can do some minor calculations to determine
the maximum number of grams of total fat and saturated fat you should
consume in a day; then compare the grams of fat listed on the food label
to your personal limits to decide if a food will fit in your daily diet.
How many grams of
fat, and how many grams of saturated fat, can you have each day? First multiply your total number of calories per
day by .25 (depending on your activity level, age, gender, and weight,
you may be allowed 30 or even 35 percent of calories from fat -- in
which case you would multiply by .30 or .35, respectively; ask your
doctor or a registered dietitian what level you should aim for).
Next, divide that result by 9, which will give you the maximum grams
of total fat recommended for you. (You divide by 9 because each gram
of fat provides 9 calories.) Because you should get less than 7 percent
of your day's total calories from saturated fat, you can multiply your
total number of calories per day by .07 and then divide by 9 to determine
that limit as well.
Eat as much like
a vegetarian as possible. Dietary
cholesterol is found only in animal products; animal products
also tend to be higher in fat (skim milk products are exceptions), especially
saturated fat. Foods derived from plant sources, on the other hand,
contain no cholesterol and tend to be lower in fat. The fats
they do contain are generally polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, which
are healthier than the saturated kind. (The exceptions are coconut oil,
palm oil, palm kernel oil, and partially hydrogenated oils, which contain
higher amounts of saturated fatty acids.) You'll be doing your arteries
a favor if you increase your intake of vegetable proteins, such as beans,
whole grains, and tofu, and keep servings of high-fat animal products
to a minimum.
Increase your complex
carbohydrate intake. Eating plenty
of complex carbohydrates will fill you up and make you feel more satisfied,
leaving less room for fatty meats and desserts. Complex carbohydrates
include fruits, vegetables, dried beans, whole-grain pastas and breads,
brown rice, and other grains.
Read your meat. The small orange labels stuck to packages of meat
at the grocery store aren't advertisements or promotions; they're actually
grades of meat. "Prime," "Choice" and "Select"
are official U.S. Department of Agriculture shorthand for "fatty,"
"less fatty" and "lean." Prime is 40 percent to
45 percent fat by weight; choice is 30 percent to 40 percent fat, and
select or "diet lean" is 15 percent to 20 percent fat.
So when you do add meat to your meal, opt for "select" cuts.
Change the way you
cook. Broiling and steaming are
heart-smart ways to cook food. Unlike frying, these methods require
no added fat.
Skin your poultry.
The skin of chicken (and turkey, too, for that matter), is an absolute
no-no for people who are watching their fat intake. It contains high
amounts of saturated fat.
Skip the pastry. One hidden source of saturated fat is pastry -- donuts,
Danishes, piecrust, éclairs, and so on. These confections are often
made with shortening, butter, and/or hydrogenated fats -- just the kinds
of ingredients that should be limited by people striving to eat less
saturated fat. Stick with whole-grain bread and rolls, and read labels
to be sure you know what is in the package.
Eat fish.
Although fish oil does not lower cholesterol, it has a dual benefit
for the heart. In the simplest sense, if you choose halibut instead
of prime rib, you're avoiding a huge amount of saturated fat and cholesterol,
since fish is low in both. But your heart gets a bonus, since fish is
a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, unsaturated fats that have been
shown to protect the heart. The American Heart Association recommends
eating fish twice a week. Fatty fish have more of those healthful omega-3
fatty acids, so the best varieties to add to your menu are mackerel,
lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon.
Don not fears eggs. But, do not think you can raid the henhouse anytime
you like, either. Eggs were long considered no-no's if you were concerned
about heart disease, since eating just one provides a bit more than
the recommended daily limit of cholesterol (200 milligrams).
But in recent years, cardiologists have relaxed the rules a bit. Eggs
can fit into a healthy diet if you omit other sources of cholesterol
on days when you indulge.
Eat smaller meat
portions. One way to trim your
saturated fat intake without giving up the steaks you love is to keep
your portions to about three ounces, the size of a deck of cards. Also,
make whole grains the center of your meals, and use meat as more of
a garnish or side.
 Give up organ meats. Although rich in iron and protein, these meats are
also tremendously high in fat and cholesterol. That goes for pate, too.
Increase your fiber
intake. Fiber, especially the
soluble kind found in fruits and brans, has been shown to lower cholesterol
levels. If you follow the recommendation to eat more complex carbohydrates,
you'll naturally boost your fiber intake. You might also consider punching
up your fiber consumption with a daily one-teaspoon dose of a psyllium-husk
powder, such as Metamucil. Women should aim for 25 grams of fiber each
day, and men should try to get 38 grams. You don't want to go much above
that, but that's unlikely, since we average only about half the recommended
intake as it is. Be sure to increase your fiber intake gradually to
give your system time to adjust, and drink plenty of fluids, so that
fiber doesn't end up plugging your internal plumbing.
Quit smoking.
Although most of us are aware that smoking can cause lung cancer and
can raise the risk of experiencing a heart attack, few people know that
smoking can actually affect cholesterol levels. When you quit
the habit, your HDL, or "good," cholesterol
goes up.
Add exercise to your
daily routine. Studies have shown
regular aerobic exercise (the type that gets your large muscles moving
and your heart pumping faster for sustained periods) can boost levels
of HDL in the blood. Exercise also helps reduce weight and lower triglyceride
(another type of fatty molecule in the blood that, when present in high
levels, can increase the risk of heart disease) and LDL levels. Aim
for at least 30 to 45 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking,
most days.
Move, move, move. In addition to scheduling regular heart-pumping exercise,
you need to graduate from a sedentary lifestyle to a more active one.
That means fitting in extra physical movement whenever you can, such
as taking stairs instead of elevators, running errands on foot or by
bicycle rather than by car, and parking at the far end of parking lots.
Consider getting a pedometer as a mini-motivator, and aim to accumulate
10,000 steps a day.
Natural Home Remedies for High Cholesterol
These common kitchen staples can play a role in lowering
your cholesterol. Give these home remedies a try as part of the cholesterol
plan you've discussed with your doctor.
Home Remedies
from the Counter
Garlic.
Studies show that garlic may not only reduce LDL but raise HDL and decrease
the amount of fat in your blood. Add some fresh garlic regularly to
your cooking to keep your heart healthy.
Home Remedies
from the Cupboard
Almonds. Studies indicate that snacking on almonds regularly
for as little as three weeks may decrease LDL by up to ten percent.
Honey. Add 1 teaspoon
honey to 1 cup hot water in the morning, and you may rid your system
of excess fat and cholesterol, according to Ayurvedic medicine. Add
1-teaspoon limejuice or 10 drops cider vinegar to give that drink a
more powerful cholesterol-fighting punch.
Oats. In any
pure form, oats are a traditional cholesterol buster. Eating
only 1/2 cup oatmeal a day, along with a low fat diet, may reduce
cholesterol levels by nine percent.
 Rice. The oil that comes from the bran of rice is known
to lower cholesterol. And brown rice is particularly high in fiber,
which is essential in a cholesterol-lowering diet. One cup provides
11 percent of the daily fiber requirement.
Soybeans. These
beauties may reduce LDL by as much as 20 percent when 25 to 50 grams
of soy protein are eaten daily for as short a time as a month. Besides
that obvious benefit, soy may fend off a rise in LDL in people with
normal levels and also improve the ability of arteries to dilate. This
means they expand better to allow the unimpeded passage of fats and
other substances that otherwise might cause a blockage.
Walnuts. A cholesterol-lowering diet that includes
walnuts eaten at least four times a week may lower LDL by as
much as 16 percent. And studies indicate that those who munch on these
nuts regularly cut their risk of death by heart attack in half when
compared to non-walnut munchers.
Home Remedies
from the Drawer
Calculator.
Add up those cholesterol milligrams daily to see how you're doing.
Notebook. Chart
your daily diet.
Nutrition & food
guide. Use it to gauge the cholesterol
content of the foods you eat. Record the results.
Home Remedies
from the Refrigerator
Alfalfa
sprouts. These may improve
or normalize cholesterol levels.
Warning! Sprouts
are not clean or washed when you buy them in the store, and they may
be a source of E.coli bacteria. Wash thoroughly before you consume or
use a veggie-cleaning product available in most grocery stores.
Apples. Apples are high in pectin, which can lower cholesterol
levels.
Artichokes. This
veggie can actually lower cholesterol levels. Early studies pointed
to their beneficial cholesterol-busting properties, but recent studies
have shown that artichokes may be even more effective than they were
first thought to be.
Beets. Full
of carotenoids and flavonoids, beets help lower -- and may even prevent
-- the formation of LDL, the bad cholesterol.
Carrots. Full
of pectin, they're as good as apples in lowering cholesterol levels.
 Olive oil. It protects your heart by lowering LDL, raising
HDL, and preventing your blood from forming clots.
Pears. These
are high in soluble fiber, which helps regulate cholesterol levels.
Rhubarb. Yep,
this is a cholesterol-buster. Consume it after a meal that's heavy in
fats. You can cook it in a double boiler, with a little honey or maple
syrup for added sweetness, until done. Add cardamom or vanilla if you
like.
Yogurt. Eating 1 cup plain yogurt with active cultures a
day may reduce LDL by four percent or more and total cholesterol
by at least three percent. Some scientists believe that eating yogurt
regularly may even reduce the overall risk of heart disease by as much
as ten percent.
Home Remedies
from the Spice Rack
Turmeric. This
may lower blood cholesterol. Added to eggplant, you may reap twice the
cholesterol-fighting benefit. Mix 3/4 teaspoon turmeric with 2 tablespoons
cooked, mashed eggplant and 1 1/2 tablespoons boiling water. Spread
it on whole wheat bread and eat after a meal heavy in fats.
It is important
to watch your diet, exercise, talk to your doctor, and keep our
heart-healthy home remedies in mind when you want to lower your high
blood cholesterol.
Mediterranean diet for High Cholesterol
Definition
The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy eating
plan combining elements of Mediterranean style cooking.
If you are
looking for a heart-healthy eating plan, the Mediterranean diet
might be right for you. The Mediterranean diet incorporates the
basics of healthy eating, plus a splash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps
a glass of good red wine, among other components characterizing the
traditional cooking style of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
Most healthy diets include fruits and vegetables,
fish and whole grains, and limit unhealthy fats. While these fundamental
parts of a healthy diet remain tried and true, subtle variations
or differences in proportions of certain foods may make a difference
in your risk of heart disease.
Benefits
of the Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean eating style significantly reduces
the risk of further heart disease in individuals who had already had
a heart attack. Remarkably, this benefit was not related to any significant
difference in cholesterol levels — rather other components of
the diet seem to work in concert to protect the body.
Key components
of the Mediterranean diet include:
- Eating
a generous amount of fruits and vegetables
- Consuming
healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil
- Eating
small portions of nuts
- Drinking
red wine, in moderation, for some
- Consuming
very little red meat
- Eating
fish on a regular basis
- Fruits,
vegetables and grains
- The traditional
diet among some Mediterranean countries includes fruits, vegetables,
pasta and rice. For example, residents of Greece
eat very little red meat and average nine servings a day of antioxidant-rich
fruits and vegetables. This eating pattern has been associated with
a lower level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
oxidation — a change in LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol)
that makes it more likely to build up deposits in your arteries.
- Grains
in the Mediterranean region typically contain very few unhealthy trans
fats, and bread is an important part of the diet there. However,
throughout the Mediterranean region, bread is eaten without butter
or margarines, which contain saturated fat or trans fats.
Healthy fats
 The Mediterranean diet
doesn't view all fat as bad. The focus of the diet isn't to limit
total fat consumption, but to make wise choices about the types of fat
you eat.
The Mediterranean diet is similar to the American
Heart Association's Step I diet, but it contains less cholesterol
and has more fats that contain the beneficial linolenic acid (a
type of omega-3 fatty acid). These fat sources include olive oil, canola
oil and nuts, particularly walnuts. Fish — another source of omega-3
fatty acids — is eaten on a regular basis in the Mediterranean diet.
Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids lower triglycerides and
may provide an anti-inflammatory effect helping to stabilize the blood
vessel lining. The Mediterranean diet discourages saturated fats
and hydrogenated oils (trans-fatty acids), both of which contribute
to heart disease.
Choosing oils and fats
Olive oil. All types of olive oil provide monounsaturated fat,
but "extra-virgin" or "virgin" oil are the least
processed forms, and so contain the highest levels of the protective
plant compounds that provide antioxidant effects.
Nuts. Nuts are high in fat — up to 80 percent of their
calories — but tree nuts, including walnuts, pecans, almonds and hazel
nuts, are low in saturated fat. Walnuts also contain omega-3 fatty acids.
Nuts are high in calories, so they should not be eaten in large amounts
— generally no more than a handful a day. For the best nutrition, avoid
honey-roasted or heavily salted nuts.
Wine
The health
effects of alcohol have been debated for many years, and some doctors
are reluctant to encourage alcohol consumption because of the health
consequences of excessive drinking. However, light intake of alcohol
is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. 
Red wine has
an aspirin-like effect, reducing the blood's ability to clot, and also
contains antioxidants. The Mediterranean diet typically includes
some red wine, but this should be consumed only in moderation. This
means no more than one 5-ounce glass of wine daily for women (or men
over age 65), and no more than two 5-ounce glasses of wine daily for
men under age 65. Any more than this increases the risk of health problems,
including increased risk of certain types of cancer.
If you are
unable to limit your alcohol intake to the amounts defined above, you
have a personal or family history of alcohol abuse, or you have liver
disease, refrain from drinking wine or any other alcohol. Keep in mind
that red wine may also trigger migraines in some people.
Putting
it all together
You can successfully
incorporate the Mediterranean diet into your life by being an
informed consumer and a smart shopper. Choose plenty of fresh fruits
and vegetables, limit intake of red meat, eat fish — not fried or laden
with butter or heavy sauces — at least once a week, don't be afraid
of healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts and canola oil (but use these
in moderation because of their high calorie content), and reduce or
eliminate saturated fat and trans fats (also known as hydrogenated or
partially hydrogenated oils) from your diet. Read food labels
to see what you're really buying. Here are some specific steps you can
take:
Eat natural
peanut butter, rather than
the kind with hydrogenated fat added.
 Use butter sparingly, and
don't think that "low fat" or "cholesterol-free"
on the label means a product is necessarily good for you. Many of these
items are made with trans fats.
Eat a variety
of whole fruits and vegetables every day. Ultimately, strive for seven to 10 servings a day.
Keep baby carrots, apples and bananas on hand for quick, satisfying
snacks. Fruit salads are a wonderful way to eat a variety of healthy
— and tasty — fruit.
Use canola
or olive oil in cooking.
Try olive oil for salad dressing and as a healthy replacement for butter
or margarine. After cooking pasta, add a touch of olive oil, some garlic
and green onions for flavoring. Dip bread in flavored olive oil or lightly
spread it on whole-grain bread for a tasty alternative to butter.
Substitute
fish and poultry for red meat.
Avoid sausage, bacon and other high-fat meats. Limit higher fat dairy
products such as whole or 2% milk, cheese and ice cream. Switch to skim
milk, fat-free yogurt and low-fat cheese.
Eat fish
once or twice a week. Water-packed
tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel and herring are healthy choices. Grilled
fish tastes good and requires little cleanup. Avoid fried fish, unless
it is sauteed in a small amount of olive oil.
Keep walnuts,
almonds, pecans and Brazil nuts on hand for a quick snack.
If it's OK
with your doctor, go ahead and have a glass of red wine at dinner with
your pasta or fish. If you do not drink alcohol, you don't need to start.
Once you experience
the delicious and healthy choices, the Mediterranean diet has
to offer, it just might become your favorite diet.
Prevention of High Cholesterol
Definition
 Adoption of a healthier
lifestyle, including aerobic exercise and a low-fat diet, should
reduce the prevalence of obesity, high cholesterol, and, ultimately,
the risk of coronary heart disease.
First, see your doctor. A simple blood test checks
for high cholesterol. You may be asked to fast overnight before the
test. Just knowing your total cholesterol level isn’t enough.
A complete lipid profile measures your LDL, total cholesterol, HDL (the good cholesterol), and
triglycerides. The guidelines say healthy adults should have this analysis
every 5 years.
Next, set dietary goals based on the guidelines
from the National Cholesterol Education Program.
·
Strive for daily intake
of less than 7% of your calories from saturated fat and less than 200
mg of cholesterol from the food you eat.
·
You may eat up to 30%
of your calories from total fat, but most should be from unsaturated
fat, which doesn’t raise cholesterol levels.
·
Add more soluble fiber
(found in cereal grains, beans, peas, and many fruits and vegetables)
and foods that contain plant stanols and sterols (included in
certain margarines and salad dressings) to boost your LDL-lowering power. The best way to know what’s in the
foods you eat is to read the nutrition label.
·
Lower cholesterol levels
start at the grocery store. Read food labels, and buy foods low
in saturated fat and low in cholesterol.
To help you know what to look for when grocery shopping,
the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has a partial shopping
list for you.
·
Breads - Whole wheat,
rye, pumpernickel, or white
·
Soft tortillas - Corn
or whole wheat
·
Hot and cold cereals -
Except granola or muesli
·
Rice - White, brown, wild,
basmati, or jasmine
·
Grains - Bulgur,
couscous, quinoa, barley, hominy, or millet
·
Fruits - Any fresh, canned,
dried, or frozen without added sugar
·
Vegetables - Any fresh,
frozen, or (low-salt) canned without cream or cheese sauce
·
Fresh or frozen juices
without added sugar
·
Fat-free or 1% milk
·
Cheese with 3 grams of
fat or less per serving
·
Low-fat or nonfat yogurt
·
Lean cuts of meat - Eye
of round beef, top round, sirloin, or pork tenderloin
·
Lean or extra lean ground
beef
·
Chicken or turkey - White
or light meat, skin removed
·
Fish - Most white meat
fish is very low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
·
Tuna - Light meat canned
in water
·
Peanut butter, reduced
fat
·
Eggs, egg whites, egg
substitutes
·
Low-fat cookies or angel
food cake
·
Low-fat frozen yogurt,
sorbet, sherbet
·
Popcorn without butter
or oil, pretzels, baked tortilla chips
·
Margarine - Soft, diet,
tub, or liquid
·
Vegetable oil - Canola,
olive, corn, peanut, or sunflower
·
Nonstick cooking spray
·
Sparkling water, tea,
lemonade
|
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