|  | Conditions Treatments | Cholesterol

Cholesterol Cure

Two types of cholesterol exist, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association. LDL cholesterol is considered bad cholesterol because it can raise blood pressure and cause heart problems. Cholesterol cures aim to lower LDL cholesterol levels and increase HDL cholesterol levels. Cures for high LDL cholesterol levels include making therapeutic lifestyle changes, diet changes, increasing physical activity and taking cholesterol reducing medication.

  1. Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes

    • Lifestyle changes are the best way to start treating high LDL cholesterol levels, according to the Mayo Clinic. To reduce your LDL cholesterol levels you should try to lose weight, eat healthier foods, become more physically active and quit smoking if you smoke. Even losing as little as 5 to 10 lb. of weight can help to successfully reduce LDL cholesterol levels. Try to avoid fast food because they contain large amounts of cholesterol. For example, a Triple Whopper from Burger King contains 205 mg. of cholesterol and a Baconator from Wendy's contains 235 mg. of cholesterol.

    Treatments And Drugs

    • If making therapeutic lifestyle changes and exercising more does not reduce your LDL cholesterol levels, then your doctor may recommend cholesterol reducing medications, according to the Mayo Clinic. Statins are the most common type of medication that's used to treat high LDL cholesterol levels. Statins are used to block a chemical that helps with cholesterol production in the liver. This depletes cholesterol in the liver, which results in the liver removing cholesterol from the blood stream. Cholesterol-reducing medications that your doctor may prescribe include Lipitor, Lescol, Altoprev, Mevacor, Pravachol, Crestor and Zocor.

    Limit Dietary Cholesterol

    • Regardless of how you plan on treating your cholesterol, you should still aim to limit your daily cholesterol intake. The Mayo Clinic recommends consuming no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day. If you have heart disease, then a better number to aim for would be less than 200 mg of LDL cholesterol per day. Foods that contain extremely large amounts of cholesterol include organ meats, whole milk products and egg yolks. Try avoiding these foods or eating these foods in moderation if you have high cholesterol levels.

    Drink Alcohol in Moderation

    • Drinking alcohol in moderation is another way that you can help treat your cholesterol. According to the Mayo Clinic, some studies have suggested that moderate consumption of alcohol leads to high HDL cholesterol levels. However, the studies are not conclusive enough to recommend drinking alcohol to people who normally don't drink alcohol. Women should not have more than one drink per day and men should limit themselves to a maximum of two drinks per day, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Cholesterol - Related Articles