Let’s first clarify something – the type of cholesterol you want to lower is your oxidized cholesterol, also known as LDL cholesterol. This is a type of cholesterol, formed when ‘normal’ cholesterol gets oxidized by reactive oxygen species, that come from pollution, bad diet, stress and so on. Here are two simple diet tweaks that will quickly normalize your cholesterol, without you having to take any prescription medication, be it Statins or any other cholesterol-lowering drug.
An apple a day
Sounds too simplistic and unscientific to have any measurable impact on your cholesterol levels, right? Wrong! Apples lower cholesterol (study) and by a whopping 40% in just two months. And that is by eating just half an apple each day. But how does this work? It’s simple – remember how the bad cholesterol forms? Oxidative stress damages normal cholesterol and in turn, the bad one forms. Apples are amongst the foods highest in anti-oxidants – despite being low in vitamin C. If you don’t want to use medication to lower your cholesterol, apples are your first best bet – immediately go to the farmer’s market or your local supermarket and purchase a big bag of them. Remember to eat them consistently – eating them every day will be much more beneficial than eating a ton of them one day and then not eating any for a week.
Reduce processed food
Processed food is a major source of trans-fats. In fact, it’s the only sources – trans fats aren’t found in any natural products, because they are man-created. Shortenings and bakery goods are the prime culprits here – avoid them at all costs. Focus on eating whole foods and you will lower your cholesterol in no time, without having to resort to dangerous drugs.
Medication is the worst option when it comes to lowering cholesterol. It doesn’t fix the underlying issue and simply removes cholesterol from your blood by the brute-force method. This is bad, because cholesterol is there for a reason – to repair broken blood vessels and damaged arteries, which are the result of a diet high in oxidants. Unfortunately, this process of repairing the damaged vessels puts so much cholesterol in your blood that the tiny arteries in your heart can get easily clogged, resulting in a heart attack.
The only way to fix this is to reduce the oxidative stress on your body, which comes either from eliminating bad food, or introducing more foods, rich in antioxidants, that fight the free radicals.
Angelina