How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally - Find Out Here!
Many would like to know how to lower cholesterol naturally. There are pharmaceutical approaches, along with restricting certain foods from your diet, and lifestyle changes, which should all be considered in order to get the full scope of this picture.
This will not be the focus of this page. We will, however, focus on a particular food that is helpful in this regard.
Here we will learn about cholesterol, what are normal ranges for cholesterol levels, and what is behind high readings.
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You will learn how dangerous high levels can be, and how they relate to heart disease and stroke, our two biggest killers in the world today.
Then we will discuss a method for lowering bad cholesterol that has been clinically proven to address the root of the problem.
First of all, what is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a very important constituent of our body’s cells, and it helps to make up our cell membranes. We need cholesterol, as it is essential to keep our cells healthy.
Cholesterol is important in the formation of hormones and the transport of fats to various parts of the body. There are two types of cholesterol: HDL, and LDL. That stands for high density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein. You generally want your HDL to be high, like the name suggests, and your LDL to be low. That's the easiest way to remember. So when we talk about how to lower cholesterol naturally on this page, we are referring to lowering our LDL cholesterol levels in particular.
For how to lower cholesterol naturally, other factors are important, such as total blood cholesterol, and triglycerides. We will discuss some of these factors now.
How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally - LDL HDL Cholesterol Chart
HDL or High Density Lipoproteins are considered “good” cholesterol. This type of cholesterol protects against arterial disease. The normal range for this number is 40-60 mg/dL.
LDL or Low-Density-Lipoproteins are the “bad” cholesterol. This is the number that your doctor wants you to keep down. Here are the ratings from the American Heart Organization for what your numbers mean:
Less than 100 mg/dL - Optimal
100 to 129 mg/dL - Near Optimal/ Above Optimal
130 to 159 mg/dL - Borderline High
160 to 189 mg/dL - High
190 mg/dL and above - Very High
Total Blood Cholesterol: A total blood cholesterol measurement of less than 200 mg/dL is desirable. If your numbers are between 200-239 mg/dL, you are at borderline-high risk for heart disease. And a number of 240 mg/dL puts you at high risk for cardiovascular trauma.
Triglycerides: This is a measurement of the fats formed from fatty acids and glycerol. Most animal and vegetable fats are triglycerides, but the especially dangerous ones come from animal sources such as meat.
How is an excess of triglycerides harmful?
Excess triglycerides in our blood is linked to a higher incidence of coronary artery disease in some people. High levels may also lead to conditions like
diabetes mellitus.
You can measure your trigylceride levels as part of your overall cholesterol test. Your doctor can schedule this test for you, which is usually done first thing on an empty stomach after a fast.
The National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines for triglycerides are:
Normal - < 150 mg/dL
Borderline-high - 150 to 199 mg/dL
High - 200 to 499 mg/dL
Very high - 500 mg/dL or higher
These are based on fasting plasma triglyceride levels.
When LDL cholesterol gets too high, however, this can lead to hardening of the arteries, otherwise knows as atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis. What causes blood cholesterol to become too high? Simply put, lipid peroxidation, or the oxidation of fats.
When fats in our diet are oxidized due to
oxidative stress,
they become sticky and stick to our arterial walls. This is what we call plaque formation. When we develop atherosclerosis, we are at risk for the two biggest killers in the world today - stroke and heart disease. Can these big killers be prevented?
How can we know how to lower cholesterol naturally, reducing lipid peroxidation, and preventing the buildup of oxidized fats that in most cases, are responsible for leading up to stroke and heart attack?
How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally - Raise Glutathione Levels
Are there natural ways to reduce cholesterol?
Which foods to help lower cholesterol are there?
There is one food that has been well studied in medical literature, and you can learn all about that food, which is an undenatured whey protein, named
Immunocal works by raising blood levels of glutathione. It is clinically proven to raise glutathione values. For a refresher on what glutathione is and what it does, please click
Is glutathione a way to know how to lower cholesterol naturally? Well, glutathione is a protein in each of your cells. When you have high levels of it, this can help as one of the natural ways to lower cholesterol.
How does glutathione teach us how to lower cholesterol naturally?
Interestingly, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study in 1993 that found a strong relationship between raised glutathione levels and reduced incidence of heart attack. We have already established the connection between high cholesterol, lipid peroxidation, and heart disease.
The abstract concluded that when glutathione levels were low, there was an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. They also concluded that raising glutathione peroxidase may lower the incidence of heart attack and stroke. When you raise your glutathione levels, the levels of the protective enzyme glutathione peroxidase go up as well.
To view the study entitled, "Glutathione peroxidase 1 activity and cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease", click
here.
(this link opens in a new window)
To view the study that examines the link between lipid metabolism and another related enzyme called gluathione S-transferase, entitled, "Association between glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms and triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol", please click
It has also been found in recent studies that another way that glutathione is one of the natural ways to lower cholesterol is by raising another enzyme called cholesterol hydroxylase.
One of the reasons this may assist in lowering bad cholesterol is by inhibiting the cholesterol from being synthesized by the liver.
To put some of this information into perspective and sum it up for us, note how Dr. Jimmy Gutman summarized glutathione's role in how to lower cholesterol naturally in his latest bestseller, "Glutathione- Your Key to Health":
"Glutathione has been shown to diminish the oxidation of fats (lipid peroxidation), decrease circulating cholesterol, minimize the inflammatory response around arteriosclerotic plaque, stabilize platelets, and protect the sensitive lining of the arteries. These are all important ways to combat hardening of the arteries and subsequent heart disease."
Here is a quote that also ties it all together from Nutrition Reviews 54: 1-30, 1996:
"Raised glutathione levels fight the oxidation of circulating fats in the bloodstream, including cholesterol, retarding the process of plaque formation in the arteries - the underlying cause for most heart disease and stroke. "
Think of that - when it comes to how to lower cholesterol naturally, you can take one of the foods to help lower cholesterol, an
undenatured whey protein
that raises glutathione, and in so doing, you also raise protective enzymes that address the root of the problem.
Glutathione and it's related enzymes retard or slow down the whole process of oxidative stress, and oxidation of fats in particular, that lead to plaque formation, heart disease and stroke!
Now you have learned something very powerful here. Now you know how to lower cholesterol naturally.
Raise your glutathione levels, and your cholesterol levels will thank you!
Dr. Jimmy Gutman is the world's most published author on the subject of glutathione. His current bestseller, referenced above, is entitled "Glutathione - Your Key To Health."
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