Effective Ways to Lower Cholesterol
It is not a secret that an increasing level of cholesterol poses a serious health risk, contributing to high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. Before getting ideas about great ways to lower cholesterol, you should know precisely what cholesterol is and how you may get too much of it, so that you may become able to handle the situation in the best possible way.
Cholesterol refers to a waxy substance that is produced in the body for supporting healthy cellular function and hormonal production. There are essentially two types of cholesterol - low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or 'bad' and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or 'good'. In addition, triglycerides are another integral component included in the cholesterol profile. This article sheds light over few great ways to lower cholesterol.
Understand The Co-Morbidities
The most common co-morbidities of cholesterol are diabetes, high blood pressure, and family history of coronary heart disease before 65 years of age, artery problems in neck, legs or the aorta, etc. If you are experiencing any of these factors, it is the high time to check your cholesterol level.
Research has shown that only one among seven individuals with high cholesterol level is not suffering from other chronic health complications. In addition, research also affirms that age and number of chronic health complications are directly proportional with each other.
Know Your Cholesterol Number
It is really vital to have a basic understanding about cholesterol number in order to find ways to effectively lower cholesterol levels. Cholesterol numbers are the quantitative value of the cholesterol level present in the body. The lower your LDL is, the better it is for health. When it is lower than 100, it is in optimal level, however, if it is above 190, it poses a great health risk.
On the other hand, if the HDL count is 60 and above, it means your body has at lower risk heart disease. However, if the count is less than 40, it implies a risk. For triglyceride level, the count of 150 is considered as normal, whereas, 500 or more is a serious health risk contributing to major coronary artery disease.
Read Labels
This is one of the most effective ways to lower cholesterol levels. You should read the label very carefully before buying your food. Reducing saturated food content to less than 10% of the total calorie content can assist you to lower low-density cholesterol or 'bad' cholesterol level.
You need to make yourself facilitated with few terminologies written over the food label such as reduced fat, light, low fat, reduced or fewer calories and fat-free. Each of these terminologies implies different fat content within the specific food such as reduced fat means 25% less fat while light implies 50% less fat.
Eat Plenty Of Fish
Omega-3 fatty acid helps lowering cholesterol level. Fishes like salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel and herding comprise of good amount of omega-3 fatty acid. Adding them in your regular diet is certainly one of the most effective ways to lower cholesterol. Omega-3 not only aids in lowering cholesterol level, but also protects us from many health hazards like irregular heart beats.
Do Regular Exercise
Last but not the least, you should do regular exercise. In fact, walking is one of the proven ways to lower cholesterol. In addition, swimming, dancing and cycling can offer benefits. A regular workout can help you to stay fit and healthy.
