Best Methods for Lowering Cholesterol Without Statin Drugs
Cholesterol plays a big part in the health of our hearts. High levels of cholesterol in the blood narrow the opening and increases blood pressure. If any cholesterol plaques break free, they can cause heart attacks and strokes.
Reducing cholesterol can be accomplished with or without medicine. Adopting an effective diet is the best option. It involves making lifestyle changes that will benefit the entire body as well as the cholesterol levels.
People for whom diet is not enough must find other means of lowering LDL cholesterol, and statin pharmaceuticals are the usual choice. Only a doctor can determine this, however. Statin drugs are powerful medicines designed to lower bad cholesterol and need to be chosen wisely as some have more side effects than others. Statins work in the liver which requires blood testing every three months to detect any damage in the liver.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is produced in the liver and introduced into the body through the foods we eat. Cholesterol works to produce Vitamin D, hormones and bile. Good cholesterol, also known as HDL, keeps arteries clear. It guides cholesterol away from arterial walls and towards the cells where it is needed.
LDL cholesterol, the bad form of cholesterol, is sticky. Too much of it in the blood can clump together against arterial walls and form plaques. These plaques work to narrow blood vessels. The point of plaque formation is usually where vessel walls have been damaged.
It’s not a good thing to have high levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream. High levels of triglycerides in the blood indicate that there is a problem with the amount of LDL cholesterol – it is way too high. Lowering triglycerides involves lowering saturated and trans-fats in the diet.
Lowering cholesterol without statins involves determination. The work has to be done by us and on a regular basis. One requirement will be a diet for lowering cholesterol that must be adhered to every day. Since the majority of cholesterol is produced in the liver, we don’t want to do damage by eating fatty foods.
Food can do double duty. Choosing foods that are not high in bad LDL cholesterol such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables will limit the cholesterol entering the body. When these foods are full of soluble and insoluble fiber, they block the absorption of cholesterol from the foods we eat. Insoluble fiber removes fat from the system entirely. There’s no question that a diet low in cholesterol will be a factor in increasing good cholesterol and lowering bad LDL cholesterol in the blood stream.
Physicians emphasize the importance of heart healthy exercise in the fight to increase cardiovascular health. We all want to avoid it but it keeps popping up as a good thing to do. Exercise burns calories. When we eat sufficient protein and limit the sugar, the body can use its own fat stores for fuel. This process involves using cholesterol as fuel, which is the bad cholesterol that we want to get rid of anyway.
Some dietary supplements can aid in lowering cholesterol. Red yeast rice tablets can be found at any drug store. It is a supplement that originated in China and functions to lower cholesterol production in the liver. Because it is not a drug, there are no frustrating side effects.
Statins are prescription medications that a doctor uses to lower cholesterol levels in patients at high risk. They are designed to work at the site of cholesterol production to lower the levels of LDL in the bloodstream. When diet and exercise aren’t lowering cholesterol levels enough, drugs are added to the equation.
The statins typically prescribed by physicians include Zocor, Lipitor, Crestor, and Pravachol. Drugs help but you must be careful. Statins don’t reduce cholesterol that’s coming into the body. While these medications are often called ‘wonder drugs,’ the results won’t be ideal without exercise and a better diet that’s low in fat and cholesterol.
Statins like Vytorin work within the liver and the digestive system. In the liver, Vytorin lowers cholesterol production. In the digestive tract, it acts to block the absorption of cholesterol from the foods we eat. The two-fold design works internally and externally.
