Regular exercise is a long-standing marker of better health as well as healthy cholesterol levels. Intake of about 25 grams of fiber per day is linked to lower weight, lower cholesterol, blood sugar, as well as reduced risk of developing heart disease and diabetes (4). In studies, higher vegetable intake is associated with an array of improved health outcomes. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber that promote heart health and overall wellbeing. Learn more, or schedule an appointment here! 1.
#Ways to lower cholesterol plus
Your CentreSpringMD provider can help you achieve the following, plus provide even more guidance toward healthy cholesterol levels. Instead, work on the following to promote healthy cholesterol levels. It’s not necessary to follow a very low cholesterol diet to improve your overall cholesterol. So how can we keep our HDL levels optimal, and total cholesterol healthy? Fortunately, there are tons of things you can do to improve your cholesterol, and we’ll start with the most important. HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol circulates through the bloodstream picking up damaging particles of other cholesterol. The reasons behind this are a little more nuanced, but this basically means that because of the size and function of an LDL particle, it is more likely to cause damage to your arteries. Depending on their function, we refer to LDL as ‘bad’ cholesterol and HDL as ‘good’ cholesterol. Not all types of cholesterol are created equally. A diet high in hydrogenated oils, refined carbohydrates, and sugar can disrupt your lipid metabolism and place stress on your liver, which plays a major role in healthy fat metabolism.įorcing the liver to metabolize a high amount of unhealthy foods can result in the buildup of triglycerides, contributing to unhealthy cholesterol levels. So just what causes high cholesterol? The answer goes way beyond the foods you eat.Ĭholesterol is normally kept in balance by having a healthy lipid metabolism. Is High Cholesterol Dangerous?Īlthough cholesterol is vital to essential functions in your body, excess cholesterol can build up in your arteries, forming a fatty plaque, which can contribute to something called atherosclerosis, and an increased risk for heart disease and stroke. Learn more about cholesterol management at CentreSpringMD. If triglycerides are high, and HDL is low, you’ll want to consult your integrative medicine doctor to determine which functional treatments, diet & lifestyle changes can improve your cholesterol levels. One significant risk factor for heart disease is your ratio of triglycerides to HDL. Triglycerides should be below 150, with an optimal range being about 100. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) should optimally be 100-129, and under 100 if you’re already at risk for heart disease. For men, HDL is considered low if below 40, and for women, below 50. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) – Optimal HDL is 60 or above. If your total cholesterol is over 200, this is considered ‘high’ and you’ll want to pay special attention to the ratios of the type of cholesterol that make up this number (3). Total cholesterol, which should ideally be under 200. There are several different markers that your integrative doctor will discuss with you concerning your cholesterol levels, but the basic measurements are: Starting in your 20s, you should aim to get your cholesterol levels measured once every 5 years. So why does cholesterol have such a bad reputation, and should we be worried about keeping cholesterol levels low? Healthy Cholesterol Levels Your body makes about 75% of the cholesterol your body needs, while approximately 25% comes from dietary sources of fat (1).Ĭholesterol makes up a little less than half of the fat in each cell membrane, and although your brain is only 2% of your body weight, it contains up to 20% of your body’s cholesterol (2). It’s an essential component in each cell membrane, and helps make vitamin D, hormones, and plays a role in digesting food. What Is Cholesterol?Ĭholesterol is a lipid, or fat, that you’ll find in every cell in your body. There are tons of ways you can improve your cholesterol levels naturally, and in this article you’ll learn why that’s important, and which type of cholesterol you should actually be concerned with. And with so much conflicting information out there, it’s difficult to sort fact from fiction. Written by CentreSpringMD The Truth About Cholesterol + 4 Ways to Lower Cholesterol NaturallyĬholesterol is essential to human life, but it’s built up a pretty negative reputation.