Studies confirmed that having a high LDL cholesterol level (bad cholesterol) and low HDL level (good cholesterol) contribute to a high risk of cardiovascular disease. Fortunately, there are powerful prescription drugs available to control cholesterol levels, but they are not suitable for everyone. People with moderate to borderline cholesterol levels, should try non-prescription methods before resorting to prescription drugs.
What are some of the prescription-free cholesterol reducing methods?
Diet, exercise and weight loss – Aerobic exercise and losing weight are the best ways to reduce cholesterol levels. This lifestyle change not only reduces cholesterol levels, it also reduces heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
2. Plants sterols – These plant extracts inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine. Therefore, dietary cholesterol is never digested.
3. Soy products – Studies have shown that soy products, referring to soy isoflavones, can reduce cholesterol levels significantly. A diet containing 25 grams of soy and 50- 60 milligrams of isoflavones a day, can reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 10%.
4. Fiber products – Dietary fibers, especially fibers that dissolve in water, can significantly reduce cholesterol levels. Foods high in soluble fibers are lentils, pinto beans, citrus, black beans and barley.
5. Red rice yeast — Studies have found that red yeast rice significantly reduces cholesterol levels. Particularly, the statin drug called lovastatin that is found in red yeast rice; acts as the most effective cholesterol-lowering agents.
6. Alcohol – Drinking 1 to 2 alcohol beverages, equivalent to 1½ oz, can increase HDL levels (good cholesterol) and reduce the risk of heart attack. However, this method of reducing cholesterol levels is not recommended, because alcohol can cause serious problems and can become an addictive habit.
7. Policosanol – This relatively new mixture consists of fatty alcohols, yams and beeswax, appears to be a promising method. Although it is gaining popularity, the problem with policosanol is that there is a lot of variability in its preparation. As a result, it is not clear that policosanol derived from beeswax is equally effective as policosanol derived from sugar cane.
8. Avoid Soft Drinks – Soft drinks are filled with lots of excess sugar that cause your blood glucoselevels to to spike. They also contain many “empty calories” as they provide you with no nutritional value. Instead, try supplementing soft drinks with water or an energy providing drink like UltraLean A.M.
