Reduce the Bad and Increase the Good Cholesterol Naturally

Keep the bad cholesterol at bay and the good cholesterol where it belongs through these natural alternatives to the harmful prescription medications. 


It is important to keep your cholesterol levels healthy through natural methods.  Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is found in your body, especially in your blood.  Your body produces cholesterol in the liver and can be ingested in your food.  Your body needs cholesterol to work properly.

 
The problem is many times people end up having high cholesterol and too much cholesterol can be very harmful to your body.  Some health issues that can occur include hardening of the arteries or narrowing of the arteries that can cause constrictions to the blood flow.  This can lead to even more serious health issues, such as heart disease and heart attacks.


There are two kinds of cholesterol:  ldl (bad) and hdl (good).  Medical professionals determine your cholesterol levels by a ratio between the good.  You should have a higher level of hdl than ldl.

Causes of high cholesterol

There are many reasons why cholesterol levels can be high.  Generally your lifestyle is a huge factor.  If you eat an unhealthy diet, rarely exercise, smoke or are overweight, these can control your levels of cholesterol.  There are many foods that are high in bad cholesterol.  Also, there are foods rich in good cholesterol.

Also, there are causes that you can not do much about, such as family or genetic characteristics.

Natural alternatives to medications with harmful side effects:

•    Policosanol – naturally occurs in sugar, rice bran and beeswax.  Lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol. 
•    Bioflavanoids – this is found in green tea and reduces bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol.
•    Phytosterols – produced from plants to help reduce the absorption of cholesterol within the gastrointestinal tract, which reduces the cholesterol absorbed by your body from the food you eat.
      
       
These are just a few of the many naturally occurring substances that help in lowering cholesterol.