How to Lower Cholesterol
Source: MedlinePlus Health Topics, U.S. National Library of Medicine
What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too much of it in your blood, it can stick to the walls of your arteries and narrow or even block them. This puts you at risk for coronary artery disease and other heart diseases . Cholesterol is made by your liver. It travels through the blood on proteins called lipoproteins. One type of lipoprotein, LDL , is sometimes called the "bad" cholesterol. A high LDL level leads to a buildup of cholesterol in your arteries. Another type, HDL , is sometimes called the "good" cholesterol. It carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. Then your liver removes the cholesterol from your body. There are steps that you can take to lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise your HDL (good) cholesterol. By keeping your cholesterol levels in range , you can lower your risk of heart diseases . What are the main treatments for high cholesterol? The main treatments for high cholesterol are lifestyle changes and medicines. Lifestyle changes to lower cholesterol Heart-healthy lifestyle changes that can help you lower or control your cholesterol include: Heart-healthy eating. A heart-healthy eating plan limits the amount of saturated and trans fats that you eat. It recommends that you eat and drink only enough calories to stay at a healthy weight and avoid weight gain. It also encourages you to choose a variety of nutritious foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. Examples of eating plans that can lower your cholesterol include the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet and the DASH eating plan . Aiming for a healthy weight . If you are overweight or have obesity , losing weight can help lower your LDL cholesterol and raise your HDL cholesterol. This is especially important for people with metabolic syndrome . Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that together ra