How to Lower Bad Cholesterol - Tips and Discussion

Here, you will learn about how to lower bad cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol has many roles in the body, some of which promote health, whilst others are detrimental. "Bad cholesterol" is LDL cholesterol, otherwise known as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. This type of cholesterol clogs the arteries, and leads to increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Because much of the Western world has a diet that is primarily composed of meats, high (bad) cholesterol is an issue for many individuals. Despite the fact that high cholesterol is an issue for many people, it is a relatively simple thing to cure through small changes.

Food, Diet and Nutrition

Due to the nature of cholesterol - the fact that our cholesterol levels are inherently related to fat intake and which types of fat we eat - a great deal of cholesterol control has to do with dietary choices. In particular, a high LDL count represents the fact that an individual is consuming too many of the wrong types of food (and wrong type of fat). This is a core fact to bear in mind when figuring out how to lower bad cholesterol.

If you are trying to reduce your cholesterol, a good "rule of thumb" to keep in mind is the fact that most animal products are high in "bad" (saturated) fat and cholesterol (LDL). Some specific foods that are very high in (bad) cholesterol are: eggs, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, butter, lamb, beefsteak, chicken, beef liver, beef kidney, ice cream, and sponge cake. Avoiding or cutting down drastically on these foods is thus crucial in how to lower bad cholesterol.

Discussion on Medication

Although diet is a rather fundamental influencer of cholesterol levels, there are several ways for how to lower bad cholesterol aside from making changes to your diet. One option to lower cholesterol is, of course, to take medication. This is a first step for many people, and while it does yield fast results, it should be accompanied by lifestyle changes and thought of as a short-term solution rather than a "cure."

Unfortunately, although some people do require medication to lower cholesterol (after lifestyle changes have not been effective), most people use medication to deal with cholesterol without making the necessary lifestyle changes.

Summary - Diet, Lifestyle and Exercise

The lifestyle changes generally associated with lowering cholesterol are the adoption of a healthier diet, and a regular exercise regimen. In conjunction with these habits, weight loss generally helps individuals with high cholesterol to lower their levels.

Because every individual is different, different people tend to have more or less success with different cholesterol-lowering strategies. The best approach for how to lower bad cholesterol, if you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, is to introduce more fruits and vegetables into your diet and to avoid animal-derived foods and fats. Additionally, discussing appropriate exercise options with your health care practitioner and making a plan to lose weight will also contribute to the presence of less "bad" cholesterol in the body.

A combination of dietary changes, exercise, weight loss, and perhaps medication (if necessary), is the best way for how to lower bad cholesterol. Consideration of your individual life style and health history should help you and your physician to clarify what the main risk factors are for you; if your parents suffered from high cholesterol, then perhaps genetic factors are at play (although members of the same family also tend to have similar eating and lifestyle habits).

On the other hand, if you eat a diet very heavy in red meats and animal fats, that could be the main thing to work on changing for you. Because everyone is different, it is essential to develop an approach that combines multiple strategies towards how to lower bad cholesterol.

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