Essential Tips on How to Lower LDL Cholesterol Naturally

A high cholesterol level may be a real threat for your health, especially if we talk about LDL cholesterol. As you probably know, cholesterol is naturally produced by your body, and it is composed of low density cholesterol (LDL or bad cholesterol), intermediate density cholesterol (IDL) and high density cholesterol (HDL or good cholesterol).

Low density cholesterol is considered bad because LDL lipoproteins deposit the fat molecules on artery walls, causing the formation of cholesterol plaque. This may lead to serious heart related problems, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis and even heart attack.

Almost 80 percent of the total cholesterol level is produced by the liver, and only 20 percent is provided by food. Obviously, a high amount of fats in your diet will increase the level of cholesterol, both LDL and HDL. A higher level of HDL cholesterol is desirable, because it extracts bad cholesterol from artery walls and escorts it out of the body, via the liver.

Avoiding fats is the first step for keeping a low LDL cholesterol level. But this is sometimes easy to say and much harder to do. A healthy diet does not necessarily mean giving up all the tasty food you like. Just try to eat less red meat, eggs and cheese, and try to avoid greasy food.

Instead, you can eat more vegetables, fruits, and cereals. Also, eating fish or taking fish oil supplements can really help you lower your LDL cholesterol level. You may not know, but fish contains important quantities of omega-3 fatty acids, which are proven to reduce bad cholesterol levels. Regular intake of fish oil concentrated supplements is a good alternative for those who do not like eating fish.

Besides dieting, an active life increases HDL and, consequently, lowers bad cholesterol. It is proven that 30 minutes of exercise each day keeps your body and mind healthy. Regular exercise also seems to bring down triglyceride levels and blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart attack.

So do not forget, a healthy diet, a high level of HDL cholesterol and regular exercise can help you lower bad cholesterol levels and keep your body healthy.

Since Dan Donahue found out about his peakflowmeters.info high cholesterol levels, he started keeping track of his progress to a healthy lifestyle at his blog peakflowmeters.info Peak Flow Meters. Check it out for the most current articles, discussions, and tips.