What will lower cholesterol

The American Heart Association AHA recommends using oils that have less than 4 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon and no trans fats. Try using olive oil, sunflower oil or grapeseed oil in place of a solid fat. You might also bring out some new, surprising, subtle flavors, too. Plus, many vegetarian meals are just as flavorful and filling as their meaty cousins. For dessert, add some fresh blueberries, strawberries and oats to low-fat vanilla yogurt. The key here is to build up a routine, like making every Tuesday night vegetarian night.

Once that becomes the norm, try expanding to different nights, or add a weekly vegetarian lunch, too. Over time, these modifications can really add up and pay off. This includes raising good HDL cholesterol, managing blood pressure levels and many other heart-healthy benefits. Do you need to start running every day? Do you need to join a gym or buy a bunch of home fitness equipment?

If you want to, go ahead! Ideally, you want to aim for at least 2. You can break that up however you like. You might focus on doing something every day, or you could dedicate yourself to just a few days per week.

The key is to just get started. For example, do you usually take the elevator? Take the stairs instead. Do you walk your dog every day? Go a little farther than usual, or walk at a faster pace. Need to go shopping?

Park farther away than you normally do. Catching up on your favorite TV series? Also look for chances to bring motion into your daily life, such as walking while you talk on the phone. It also helps reduce blood pressure and builds your overall physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Even if you just go a little farther or a little faster than you usually do, that extra activity will be a big step in the right direction for your health. Some give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the body from absorbing cholesterol.

An easy first step to lowering your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for another half-gram. Current nutrition guidelines recommend getting 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day, with at least 5 to 10 grams coming from soluble fiber. The average American gets about half that amount. Barley and other whole grains. Like oats and oat bran, barley and other whole grains can help lower the risk of heart disease, mainly via the soluble fiber they deliver.

Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. They also take a while for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. That's one reason beans are a useful food for folks trying to lose weight. With so many choices — from navy and kidney beans to lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, and beyond — and so many ways to prepare them, beans are a very versatile food. Eggplant and okra. These two low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber.

A bushel of studies shows that eating almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and other nuts is good for the heart. Increasing the number of sets or repetitions increases the benefit Any type of exercise improves cholesterol and promotes heart health.

The longer and more intense the exercise, the greater the benefit. A two-year study of 90 adults on one of three randomly assigned weight loss diets found weight loss on any of the diets increased the absorption of cholesterol from the diet and decreased the creation of new cholesterol in the body A study of 35 young women showed decreased creation of new cholesterol in the body during weight loss over six months Weight loss reduces total cholesterol, in part by decreasing the creation of new cholesterol in the liver.

Smoking increases the risk of heart disease in several ways. One of these is by changing how the body handles cholesterol.

The immune cells in smokers are unable to return cholesterol from vessel walls to the blood for transport to the liver. This damage is related to tobacco tar, rather than nicotine These dysfunctional immune cells may contribute to the faster development of clogged arteries in smokers.

In a large study of several thousand adults in Pacific Asia, smoking was associated with decreased HDL levels and increased total cholesterol Fortunately, giving up smoking can reverse these harmful effects 36 , Quitting smoking can reverse these effects. When used in moderation, the ethanol in alcoholic drinks increases HDL and reduces the risk of heart disease.

This reduces the risk of clogged arteries and heart disease While moderate alcohol intake reduces heart disease risk, too much alcohol harms the liver and increases the risk of dependence. The recommended limit is two drinks daily for men and one for women However, heavier alcohol use increases heart disease risk and harms the liver.

Plant stanols and sterols are plant versions of cholesterol. Because they resemble cholesterol, they are absorbed from the diet like cholesterol. However, because parts of their chemistry are different from human cholesterol, they do not contribute to clogged arteries. Instead, they reduce cholesterol levels by competing with human cholesterol. When plant sterols are absorbed from the diet, this replaces the absorption of cholesterol.

Small amounts of plant stanols and sterols are naturally found in vegetable oils, and are also added to certain oils and butter substitutes.

In spite of these benefits to cholesterol, available studies have not proven that stanols or sterols decrease the risk of heart disease.

The higher doses in supplements are not as well tested as the small doses in vegetable oils They are not proven to reduce heart disease. There is strong evidence that fish oil and soluble fiber improve cholesterol and promote heart health.

Another supplement, coenzyme Q10, is showing promise in improving cholesterol, although its long-term benefits are not yet known. One study of 42 adults found that taking 4 grams of fish oil daily reduced the total amount of fat being carried in blood.

In another study, taking 6 grams of fish oil daily increased HDL 45 , A study of over 15, adults also found that omega-3 fatty acids, including from fish oil supplements, reduced the risk of heart disease and prolonged life expectancy You can shop for fish oil supplements online.

Another study found similar results using a 5-gram psyllium supplement twice daily. You can check out a selection of psyllium supplements online.

Coenzyme Q10 is a food chemical that helps cells produce energy. It is similar to a vitamin, except that the body can produce its own Q10, preventing deficiency. Even if there is no deficiency, extra Q10 in the form of supplements may have benefits in some situations. Several studies with a total of participants found coenzyme Q10 supplements reduced total cholesterol. You can purchase coenzyme Q10 supplements online. Fish oil supplements and soluble fiber supplements like psyllium improve cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol has important functions in the body, but can cause clogged arteries and heart disease when it gets out of control. Low-density lipoprotein LDL is prone to free radical damage and contributes most to heart disease.

In contrast, high-density lipoprotein HDL protects against heart disease by carrying cholesterol away from vessel walls and back to the liver. Exercise and weight loss can also help.

Read this article in Spanish. We explain what healthy cholesterol levels are for adults and children.