Are There Natural Alternatives to High Cholesterol Medications?
Living a healthier and happier life can be achieved when you are willing to make some small sacrifices. You know you are on your way to a healthier life and lower cholesterol when you are eating only egg whites or skinless chicken breast instead of the usual suspects of beef burgers and hot chilidogs. You will also be exercising regularly, instead of spending all your time munching on unhealthy snacks. But what happens when it comes to finally make that visit the doctor for a cholesterol check up and you find that you are making good progress with your cholesterol levels – but not as good as you had hoped for. What more can you do?
If your family has a long history of heart disease or strokes, you may be taking medications for high cholesterol. Though diet and exercise helps, sometimes they are not just enough and high cholesterol medications are needed. Though statins are usually prescribed, there are other natural alternatives that are worth considering too.
Statins work by slowing down the production of cholesterol in your body. They do this by blocking an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase – which is needed in the production of cholesterol. Basically cholesterol is characterized by good cholesterol in your bloodstream called high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and bad cholesterol called low-density lipoprotein (LDL). When you have less cholesterol in your system, your liver the removes dangerous LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream. This effectively lowers the risk of heart disease and clogged blood vessels.
However, statins do pose some risks to your health. Sometimes they can push your cholesterol levels too low. Dangerously low in some cases. It is important to understand that your body actually needs some cholesterol to produce useful hormones and for other purposes. Keeping them under control and balanced is better than eliminating them altogether. Statins also interfere with the production of the coenzyme Q10 (CO Q10), which is a useful antioxidant that helps improve heart muscles. So be aware of this when you are taking prescribed high cholesterol medications.
If you are worried about the many side effects of statins, you might want to consider taking natural supplements that can help reduce your cholesterol levels. Look for supplements that contain beneficial ingredients like lecithin oil, pumpkin seeds oil, D-limonene, and phytoseterols. They should also contain antioxidants like theaflavin, selenium and tea catechins.
There are many natural cholesterol-reduction supplements on the market. Some contain one or two of the ingredients highlighted above. But only one brand that I have found contains all of them in the right concentration. This ensures that you receive the greatest benefits to reduce bad LDL cholesterol levels and increase the good HDL your body needs, as well as total triglyceride reduction.
Lowering cholesterol is really about changing unhealthy habits and adopting new and healthier ones. Instead of relying entirely on high cholesterol medications, you should seriously consider natural remedies. They are a great way to keep your cholesterol levels balanced so you can stay healthy and enjoy a long life for years to come. If you would like to known more about how to balance your cholesterol levels naturally, take a look at the information on my website.
