13 Natural Cholesterol Remedies That Work

Natural Cholesterol Remedies do help. The two main cholesterols are HDL ( high Density Lipoprotein) & LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein). They are commonly referred to as the good (HDL) and the Bad (LDL). This is really a bit of a misnomer because both are essential to our survival.
It turns out that about 80% of the cholesterol in our body is actually produced by our body. The reality is we can only control about 20% by what we ingest, with the foods we eat. Because of this, the corporate world has jumped on the bandwagon with a plethora of processed foods featuring claims of low cholesterol or NO cholesterol at all.
Here's what you need to think about, if 80% of the cholesterols in our bodies come from our own livers. What causes a cholesterol problem? Most often it is an imbalance. With you having either too little GOOD cholesterol, or having too much BAD cholesterol, or a combination of the two. Anyone of these states, is not the way it should be and needs to be corrected.
When our cholesterol levels do get out of balance, the tendency today-often-is the introduction of drugs--and the drug of choice is the Statin.
Statins are what I like to call maintenance drugs. That is drugs that are designed--not to cure a specific problem and then be discontinued, but rather a drug that you will need to take for the rest of your life, to control or manage an ailment. These types of drugs are a big win for the drug companies! But hardly--what anyone would consider a natural remedy!
Are there alternatives to the drugs? Yes, there are natural cholesterol remedies you can integrate into your regime to reduce and possibly eliminate your need for prescription medications. Now--I would never suggest you discontinue any medication, without first consulting a medical professional.
Here is a list of foods believed to be natural cholesterol remedies:

• Almonds are a terrific way to reduce cholesterol. They also contain high levels of vitamin E.
• Brussels Sprouts Are high in fiber and lower cholesterol by binding with bile acids the liver has produced for digesting fat.
• Eating Avocados has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels by as much as 17% after just the first week. They have a compound called beta-sitosterol, which seems to have a huge impact on balancing cholesterol levels.
• Blueberries OK researchers fed mice blueberries and found the blueberry diet reduced cholesterol levels equal to that of statin drugs, but unlike the drugs, there was no harmful side effects. You can't patent blueberries--although the drug companies may try!
• Lentils are a great natural cholesterol remedy because they are very high in fiber which will absolutely lower cholesterol.
• Artichokes The leaves of the artichoke have been shown to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL).
• Celery contains pthalides (pronounced thalides) and pthalides have demonstrated the ability to help increase bile acid secretion, which subsequently reduces cholesterol. So those cheese-whiz filled celery stalks your mom serves at thanksgiving aren't so bad after all!
• It's the fiber. Zucchini reduces cholesterol because it contains fiber.
• Cherries The University of Michigan has shown cherries help reduce cholesterol and they have also been shown to help reduce inflammation and body fat.
• Apples An apple a day... It is amazing how this little rhyme from childhood is actually true. Turns out folks who consume a couple of apples a day, can reduce cholesterol by up to 16 %. A lot of people think the pectin found in apples causes this awesome effect.
• Olive Oil For centuries olive oil has been part of the "Mediterranean Diet", arguably considered the healthiest diet. The natural antioxidants in Olive oil help control cholesterol and help prevent other risk factors for heart disease, such as hyper-tension.
• Red Wine "Resveratrol" (a controversial element of red wine) is claimed to reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol, when consumed in moderation (one 8 oz glass per day). As far as I'm concerned the jury is still out on this stuff!
• Dark Chocolate Yum! Chocolate-Dark chocolate, seems to reduce LDL (Bad cholesterol) by as much as 10 percent. Recommended amount? 100 grams per day, but remember it has to be Dark Chocolate not milk chocolate!

The impact on cholesterol levels varies by the food eaten. Some foods work better than others at lowering cholesterol. But remember you can only control about 20% of the cholesterol in your body with the foods you eat. Sometimes the foods you need to eat have to be eaten in quantities that are un-realistic for many people. Sometimes in your busy schedule getting those fresh foods can be impossible. That's when the right kind of Cholesterol Balancing Supplements can really help.
By Terry Johnston