It is important to regulate the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol in your body because it is associated with cardiovascular diseases, strokes and other health problems.
In order to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol, you need to change your lifestyle a bit. This means that you have to avoid some of your favorite foods, do some exercises and add less fatty foods to your diet. This requires a lot of adjustments and some sacrifice on your part, but this should not stop you from moving ahead with it because its benefits are long life and good health, among others.
Here are some of the ways to reduce LDL levels in your system:
1. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats
Saturated fats are the kind of fats which become solid at room temperature. Most saturated fats come from animal food products and they can cause LDL levels to rise. They include butter, lard, meat fat, solid shortening, palm oil, and coconut oil.
Trans fats are formed as a result of fat hydrogenation. They are present in most fried foods and they can cause your bad cholesterol to rise while decreasing your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol.
2. Increase your fiber intake
Fiber is a complex carbohydrate which helps to reduce bad cholesterol in the body by absorbing it and excreting it through the digestive system. Fiber is also loaded with antioxidants which help to reduce bad cholesterol in your system. Natural food sources of soluble fibers are fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
3. Eat lots of fish
Lots of fishes are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, an essential nutrient which plays an active role in preventing the accumulation of bad cholesterol. Aside from fishes, other natural food sources of omega-3 are soy beans, flaxseeds and canola.
4. Drink green tea regularly
Regular consumption of green tea helps to reduce bad cholesterol levels in the body. It also contains a potent antioxidant called flavonoids which help to protect your body from the bad effects of free radicals.
5. Quit smoking
Smoking is one of the factors that can cause your HDL levels to reduce. Your body needs good cholesterol to remove LDL, so when your HDL level reduces, your bad cholesterol level tends to increase. You should quit smoking to avoid the rise of bad cholesterol level in your body as it would be detrimental to your health. Smoking can also trigger other diseases which affect your respiratory and nervous systems.
6. Drink red wine
A glass of red wine per day is sufficient to prevent your HDL level from getting low. You should remember that HDL is the one that can prevent LDL level from rising. Drinking red wine helps to keep your good cholesterol levels within normal.
7. Exercise
Exercise is one of the most effective ways of losing bad cholesterol. Aside from its ability to make you physically and mentally alert, it can also help to make you lose weight and protected from most diseases which are triggered by bad cholesterol.
