Foods to lower cholesterol then include fruits (particularly citrus fruits such as apples and oranges and particularly skins from fruits), broccoli and other green vegetables and leaves, nuts, legumes, wheat, whole grain bread and pasta, rice and many cereals. This explains why countries such as Japan and China have better cholesterol levels – as their diet includes a lot more pasta and rice and generally leaner sources of protein. One of the most famous foods to lower cholesterol is garlic which works due again to its high fibre content but also through the chemical ‘allicin’ which is thought to aid digestion and kill bacteria. Probiotics and other foods that aid digestion can also aid to lower cholesterol through these mechanisms.

Other good foods to lower cholesterol are those with laxative or diuretic properties which again work by helping the body to dispose of cholesterol. These include tea, dried apricots, prunes, apples, some mints and water. Increasing your intake of water generally is a great way to ‘flush’ the system and so lower cholesterol and also has many other health benefits.

Once you’ve made these changes to your diet you will already have made a big impact on your cholesterol levels, improved your health and lessened your chances of heart attack or heart disease. As well as diet however there are other ways to lower cholesterol naturally.

High cholesterol is a symptom not only of diet but of various other lifestyle choices. If you are a smoker for example, giving up cigarettes can improve cholesterol. Similarly if you alcoholic you should limit your alcohol intake as much as possible and if you are overweight you should aim to lose excess weight – all of which you should really be doing anyway. In fact exercise is also one of the best ways to lower cholesterol naturally and works not only by promoting weight loss, but also by improving the body’s circulation and clearing clots in blood vessels. Additionally it increases the strength of the heart itself giving it a more powerful pump and helping the body to cope more efficiently with clogged arteries as a result. Exercise is one of the best ways to lower cholesterol naturally, particularly familial or genetically caused cases, and not only lowers LDL but also raises HDL making it an important weapon for anyone in the battle against cholesterol. It does not have to be anything strenuous either, just extra walking or the occasional run will do; and generally improving all aspects of your health and diet will leave you healthier in a myriad of ways, including cholesterol. If you suspect you suffer from high cholesterol, the first port of call should be to simply eat less, eat more healthily and increase physical activity.

Mack LeMouse

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