Lower Your Cholesterol With These Shocking Treatments
Posted: October 23, 2015
Cholesterol management is a hot topic — eat this, exercise like that, take these meds. However, if you are listening only to the mainstream chatter, you aren’t learning everything you need to know in order to lower your cholesterol.
Some people have such high cholesterol levels that they can’t lower them purely through diet, and most people have trouble dealing with the harsh side effects that come with statin medications. The good news is that there are many alternatives that, when used together, have been shown to get your cholesterol in a good place.
Below are a few of these natural remedies that could help you achieve your cholesterol goals:
Onion Extract
It turns out that onions have the ability to fight cholesterol, according to the Endocrine Society, which performed a study using diabetic lab rats. The onion extract was able to specifically lower the LDL cholesterol, as well as lower the blood sugar in the animals. Doctors also speculate that garlic has a hand in lowering LDL, based on results they have seen in Indian cooking.
Red Yeast Rice
This type of yeast grows on fermented rice and contains a substance known as monacolin K, which is the same compound as lovastatin, the compound found in statin medications. Monacolin K causes the body to take LDL cholesterol from the blood and use it to protect the cells in the body rather than having the liver produce its own. In pill form, red yeast rice has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol up to 30 percent.
Tofu
Even though there are studies that report ingesting too many soy-based products can be bad for your health, in moderation, soy has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol. The doctors at Harvard Medical School recommend eating a daily amount of 10 ounces of tofu or two-and-a-half cups of soy beverage to experience the benefits. In addition, replacing meat for tofu one night a week has a two-pronged effect. By cutting the cholesterol caused by the animal protein out of your diet for even just one night, you will see a drop in your bad cholesterol. Doctors say this diet modification can reduce LDL cholesterol by up to 6 percent.
Alcohol
We have known for a while now that a nightly glass of red wine can be beneficial to your health, but we are just recently learning its effects on cholesterol. Although it doesn’t have an impact on the bad LDL cholesterol, it can increase the levels of the good HDL cholesterol. HDL has the ability to clean out your arteries, which will make your cholesterol score increase overall. Just make sure to drink responsibly. According to the Mayo Clinic, that is two glasses maximum if you are under 65, and only one glass a day if you are older than that.
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Disclaimer: This article is made available for general, entertainment and educational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Low T Center. You should always seek the advice of a licensed healthcare professional.