Ways to Reduce High Cholesterol

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is considered "bad cholesterol." When LDL accumulates on the interior walls of the arteries it causes blockages that can result in a heart attack. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is referred to as "good cholesterol." HDL works to prevent the clogging of arteries. When we speak of reducing high cholesterol it usually means reducing the levels of LDL and increasing the levels of HDL.

Instructions

• 1

  Maintain a healthy weight. Losing an extra 5 to 10 pounds can immediately lower cholesterol levels.

• 2

  Eat a cholesterol-friendly diet that includes foods rich in fiber, fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and whole wheat, oatmeal, soy and heart-healthy fish, such as salmon, cod, halibut, herring and mackerel.

• 3

  Avoid foods high in cholesterol, such as eggs, beef, trans fat, fried foods, pork, fast foods and pastries. Trans fat doesn't just increase the LDL levels, it decreases the HDL levels.

• 4

  Take a daily fiber supplement such as Metamucil or other products that contain psyllium fiber, Metamucil is available in a cracker cookie and as a flavored powder that you add to water to make a beverage.

• 5

  Add 4 grams of plant stanol spread to a daily diet. This can lower the LDL by up to 15 percent. One product that provides plant stanol is Benecol, which is used like a butter spread.

• 6

  Quit smoking to improve and increase the HDL levels. Medical research shows that good levels of cholesterol increased after a research group quit smoking. The studies showed HDL levels increased more in women than in men.

• 7

  Moderate use of alcohol can improve the HDL levels, but you should limit the consumption of alcohol. Women should drink no more than one alcohol beverage a day, and men should limit their daily intake to two.

• 8

  Exercise regularly, ideally 30 to 60 minutes per day, with a doctor's permission. Exercise helps stimulate metabolic enzyme systems in the liver and muscles that convert bad cholesterol to good cholesterol.