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| Healthy Diet Plans >> Cholesterol Lowering Drugs >> ldl cholesterol levels |
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ldl cholesterol levels LDL or low density lipoproteins cholesterol is basically the bad cholesterol which is detrimental for the health and overall well being of the individual Individuals having high ldl cholesterol levels are said to be at a higher risk for heart diseases. Those individuals who are at a lower risk of coronary heart disease and are otherwise relatively healthy should have ldl cholesterol levels at below 160 mg/dl. However if the individual tends to suffer from heart disease, diabetes or has a family history of heart disease the doctor may want to reduce ldl cholesterol level furthermore. One of the ways to lower ldl cholesterol naturally is to eat the right kind of food and to maintain an optimum weight as having a high body mass index is known to result in high ldl levels and also increase the risk of heart disease and other medical issues. Weight loss and following an ldl cholesterol diet is known to lower the ldl cholesterol levels by almost 20 %. Those who want to lower their ldl cholesterol naturally should first and foremost stop eating out at restaurants completely as fast foods that are high in refined flour and saturated fats are one of the most commonly known culprits contributing to high ldl levels. Lowering ldl cholesterol levels also includes modifying ones eating habits to include oils like canola and olive oil and avoiding all saturated fats and hydrogenated oils. In fact olive oil is known to raise the hdl cholesterol levels and lower the ldl cholesterol levels thereby ensuring good heart health and also improves the overall health of the individual. One should also try and include plant sterols to their diet in order to know how to lower ldl cholesterol as it is one of the simplest ways of lowering ldl cholesterol levels. Similarly the intake of high fiber foods such as cereals, oat meal, bran, fruits and vegetables should also be increase to lower ldl cholesterol levels as they provide the body with much needed roughage. Another way to lower the ldl cholesterol levels naturally is to increase the consumption of fish oil and omega 3 fatty acids which are found abundantly in fish such as herring, mackerel and salmon. Consuming such fatty fish is known to be healthy for the heart as the omega 3 fatty acids present in these fish are known to reduce the risk o developing blood clots and high blood pressure. Those people who have already had heart attacks in the past can benefit from fish oil as it not only lowers the ldl cholesterol levels but also reduces the risk of sudden death. Hence most doctors will advise that those suffering from high ldl cholesterol levels should eat at least two servings of fish in a week. Along with a diet, lowering of ldl cholesterol levels naturally can also be achieved by practicing regular aerobic exercises such as walking, yoga and weight bearing exercises. One should also give up smoking as it tends to lower the good cholesterol or hdl levels and increases the bad cholesterol or ldl levels in the individual. In fact smoking is also known to result in the formation of an even more damaging form of ldl cholesterol known as oxidized ldl. In fact it has been observed that those who gave up smoking had a reduction in their ldl cholesterol levels by almost 5 %. |
| Submitted on January 16, 2014 |