Get Bad Cholesterol Down

Your body needs cholesterol to function properly, and your body should make all the cholesterol it needs. Cholesterol builds hormones, comprises a large part of your brain, helps make vitamin D, and gives a layer of protection to your body's cells. Too much cholesterol, however, can increase the risk of a heart attack. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is known as "bad cholesterol." It is important to manage LDL cholesterol by eating right, exercising regularly, and avoiding bad habits like smoking. Learning to keep bad cholesterol down is essential to maintaining your long-term health.

Steps

Improving Your Diet

1. Cut high-cholesterol foods from your diet. Consume fewer foods derived from animals, like meats, dairy products, and eggs. These can be high in saturated fats and bad cholesterol. Even if you’ve been eating unhealthy for years, it’s never too late to modify your diet and make healthy changes.
   • Saturated fats are solid at room temperature as opposed to healthier unhydrogenated fats, as those found in olive oil.
   • Avoid eating trans fats, too, like margarine, packaged cookies, cakes, and crackers. These items raise LDL and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is known as good cholesterol.
   • Trans fats may appear on labels as "partially hydrogenated oil."
   • A food that claims to be "trans fat-free" may in fact contain up to 0.5 grams of partially hydrogenated oils per serving. Check the serving size as well, as people often consume more than one serving in a sitting.
2. Try adding whey protein to your diet. Whey protein is one of the two proteins found in dairy products. Adding it to your diet can offer the health benefits of dairy, without the added cholesterol and fat that can be found in many dairy products. Powdered whey protein is available at grocery and health food stores. Instructions on the product's label will tell you how to use it.
   • Choose low-fat dairy when consuming whey based products, as these contain less animal-based fat (saturated fat).
3. Add soluble fiber to your diet. Soluble fiber helps reduce absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream, so add high-fiber foods to your diet. The best strategy to add fiber to your meals is by eating more grains and fruits. Consider choices like oatmeal, oat bran, whole grain cold cereals, kidney beans, apple, pears, bananas, and prunes.
   • 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber per day effectively decreases your LDL cholesterol levels. Every 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal, for example, equals 6 grams of fiber.
4. Use more olive oil. Olive oil contains antioxidants, which help lower bad cholesterol. Swap out other fats in your diet, butter in particular, for about 2 tablespoons of olive oil daily. Extra-virgin olive oil is considered best, as it is the least processed.
   • Swap out creamier, fattier salad dressings for a little oil and vinegar.
   • Use extra virgin olive oil, or another healthy cooking oil like canola, to sauté veggies, baste meat, and other cooking needs.
5. Add some avocado to your salad. Avocados are packed with nutrients, and it’s recently been suggested that an avocado a day can lower bad cholesterol and improve heart health. Slice up half or a quarter of an avocado, and add it to sandwiches, a salad, or eat it as a side dish. Guacamole is great, too, but skip out on the chips, which can be high in saturated fats and sodium. Instead, try out a crunchy veggie, like cucumber or carrot.
   • Keep in mind avocados are high in calories. There are 9 calories per gram of fat, compared to 4 calories per gram in protein and carbohydrates, so a little can go a long way.
   • Avocado, and other foods containing poly- and mono-unsaturated fats, increases your "good" cholesterol.
6. Grab a handful of nuts for a quick snack. Nuts are a great, fast, and healthy source of energy, and a great alternative to other snacks that might be high in unhealthy fats or cholesterol. Make sure, of course, that they are not salted or sugar coated. However, since nuts are high in calories, it’s best to eat only a few at a time.
   • Walnuts, pecans, and almonds are all heart-healthy nuts.
7. Feast on fish. Trade that hamburger or steak for salmon, halibut, albacore tuna, trout, or mackerel. Swapping out red meat for fish can lower your blood pressure and increase your overall health. Fatty fish contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which don’t reduce LDL levels themselves, but do reduce the risk of a blood clot or heart attack.
   • Bake or grill to cook, so you don’t add any unhealthy fats.
   • If you don’t like fish, you can also get omega-3 fatty acids from canola oil or ground flaxseed, or add a fish supplement to your regimen. Always consult your doctor before taking supplements to make sure it’s appropriate and to verify the proper amount you should take.

Adopting Healthier Lifestyle Choices

1. Stop smoking. Smoking lowers good cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease. It damages your circulatory system and increases plaque buildup in your arteries. Both of these put you at greater risk of a heart attack or blood clot.
2. Exercise daily. If you get the okay from your doctor, exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. Additionally, try to be more active and less sedentary throughout your day. Regular exercise increases HDL levels and decreases LDL levels.
   • Even simple exercises such as walking or stretching can help. If you don’t have time for 30 minutes straight, squeeze in 10 minute intervals.
   • Losing weight through diet and exercise is also beneficial: trimming even 5 – 10% of your body weight will lower your bad cholesterol levels and put less stress on your heart.
   • Remember to talk to your doctor first to make sure daily exercise is recommended.
3. Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. Lowering your alcohol intake is recommended for those at risk for cardiovascular disease or who have high LDL levels. While there’s evidence that moderate drinking can improve HDL levels, or good cholesterol, the evidence doesn’t support starting to drink if you don’t already do so. Limit consumption to one drink a day for women, and two drinks per day for men.

Consulting with Your Doctor

1. Get a blood test to determine your cholesterol level. Cholesterol testing should be routine for any adult. If you are at risk for cardiovascular disease, such as being overweight or having high blood pressure or diabetes, your LDL level should be kept low. Most doctors feel your target LDL level should be less than 70.
   • Those with moderate risk should target a level under 130. Low risk patients can reasonably keep a level of less than 160.
   • With HDL levels, however, the higher the number, the better. A score of 40 and under (50 and under for women) is considered a major risk. 60 and over is actually protective against LDL cholesterol.
2. Consult with your doctor about taking supplements. Studies have shown some natural supplements might help lower bad cholesterol levels. Examples include fish oils, artichoke extract, fiber supplements, and green tea extract. Ask your doctor about what you can add to your diet to improve your numbers, which choices to avoid, and what amount you should take.
3. Take a cholesterol lowering medication. Anti-cholesterol drugs, known as statins, help eliminate LDL cholesterol. All medications have side effects, and many experts feel medication should be used as a last resort. Most would suggest diet and lifestyle changes be attempted first.
   • If a cholesterol-lowering medication becomes necessary, ask your doctor for a range of options and for a thorough list of side effects for each potential prescription.
   • Ask if you need to make any dietary changes specific for that medication, such as drinking more water than you usually would.
4. Work with your doctor on a comprehensive plan. Don’t let your doctor act as a prescription pad alone. Work together to build a plan that involves diet, exercise, and, if necessary, medication. If medication becomes necessary, ask how your doctor about lifestyle changes that will help lower the dosage of your prescription. They can help you put together an exercise routine and a diet tailored to your specific needs.
5. Understand the role of HDL cholesterol. It is important to remember that not all cholesterol is bad. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) picks up extra cholesterol in your blood and transports it to your liver, where it can be broken down. Raising HDL cholesterol by exercising, quitting smoking, or improving your diet can lower your risk of heart attack.

Warnings

• Always consult your doctor before taking on an exercise routine or modifying your diet.

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Sources and Citations

See also

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• Raise Good Cholesterol and Lower Bad Cholesterol
• Lower Your Cholesterol
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• Raise HDL Cholesterol Levels
• Control Cholesterol Without Statins
• Reduce Cholesterol Without Medicines
• Calculate Total Cholesterol
• Lower Your LDL Cholesterol

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