Effective Ways to Reduce Cholesterol Naturally
Atherosclerosis is known commonly as hardening of the arteries and is one of the leading signs of high cholesterol. It also is a danger signal for an increased risk of stroke or heart attack. Making sure your cholesterol levels are in balance is of utmost importance. It is possible to reduce cholesterol naturally through simple diet adjustments and cholesterol lowering dietary supplements.
There are actually several different diet strategies to help balance cholesterol levels that vary widely yet have provided effective results. Even though a low fat diet has been promoted heavily the last few decades, research does not support the idea that such a diet is the best option for most people.
Physicians like Dr. Dean Ornish have helped many people recover from, and even reverse, heart disease by combining a low fat, vegetarian diet with stress reduction and exercise. Another diet strategy that has been successful for some people is the so-called “low carb diet”. There are many variations of the low carb diet including Atkins and the Zone diet developed by Dr. Barry Sears.
With the Zone Diet, Dr. Sears recommends a balanced regulation of fat, carbohydrate and protein ratios consistently in meals as well as in snacks taken in between meals. This often results in improvements in metabolism regulation and healthy weight loss without enduring feelings of going hungry. There are also many reports of improvements in many different health conditions, including reducing cholesterol and reversing heart disease.
Cholesterol lowering nutritional supplements are another effective option that can help to lower cholesterol naturally. There is quite a lot of variation in the quality of supplements available. Of course, you’ll get the best results with high quality supplements produced in accordance with GMP (good manufacturing practice) standards.
Some important and effective nutrients to look for in natural cholesterol lowering supplements include, green tea extract, tumeric, policosanol, guggulipid, theaflavins and beta sitosterol. Among these nutrients, policosanol and guggulipid can be considered the most important.
As mentioned above, there are products on the market that claim to contain policosanol, when in fact they use an inferior substance called octacosanol.This is one reason to be aware of what you’re buying. Research has shown that genuine policosanol produced from Cuban sugar cane wax is one of the most effective nutrients for balancing cholesterol levels. Octacosanol, on the other hand, does NOT provide the same benefits.
As you can see, doing some simple research before you choose a cholesterol health supplement can make a difference. Check to confirm that the manufacturer uses genuine policosanol. Also, check to see if the product has been properly tested for biological contamination and that it is produced in a GMP (good manufacturing practice) facility as well as meeting the U.S. and/or the British Pharmacopoeia standards.
These proven natural ways to reduce cholesterol can help you avoid the side effects and possible dangers of prescription medications. Of course, you may want to consult your health care provider before changing any medications you may be taking and before beginning any new supplementation program.
About the author: Visit Max Wardlow’s website about anti aging supplements to learn more about how to lower cholesterol naturally.