The quickest way to lower cholesterol is a combination of lifestyle changes, dietary changes, and if the doctor says it is necessary, use medication. There is no solution that immediately shows results, but still, high cholesterol must be lowered. High cholesterol increases the risk of clogged arteries and heart attacks.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Change Your Lifestyle Quickly
Step 1. Start exercising
Exercise will increase the body's ability to handle fat and cholesterol. However, you should start slowly and not do more vigorous exercise than your body can handle. Talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program to make sure you can afford it. Then, increase the intensity slowly until you can exercise 30 minutes to 1 hour each day. Activities to try are:
- Walk
- jogging
- Swimming
- Bicycle
- Join a sports team, such as basketball, volleyball, or tennis.
Step 2. Improve your health by quitting smoking
Quitting smoking can reduce cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and lung disease. You can quit smoking by:
- Ask for social support from family, friends, support groups, internet forums, and hotlines.
- Consult a doctor.
- Using nicotine replacement therapy.
- Visit a dependency counselor. Some counselors specialize in helping with smoking cessation efforts.
- Consider smoking addiction rehabilitation.
Step 3. Take care of your weight
Controlled body weight can help reduce cholesterol. If you are obese, a 5% loss of body weight can already reduce cholesterol. Your doctor may advise you to lose weight if:
- You are a woman with a waist circumference of 90 cm or more, or a man with a waist circumference of 100 cm or more.
- Your body mass index is 25 or more.
Step 4. Drink less alcohol
Alcohol is high in calories and low in nutrients. That is, drinking a lot of alcohol will increase the risk of obesity. The Mayo Clinic recommends the following limits:
- One serving per day for women and one to two servings per day for men.
- One serving is 350 ml for beer, 150 ml for wine and 50 ml for liquor.
Method 2 of 3: Implementing Dietary Changes Quickly
Step 1. Reduce the amount of cholesterol consumed
Cholesterol is fat in the blood. The body produces a certain amount of cholesterol. So, if you reduce cholesterol from food, it will really help. Excess cholesterol will increase the risk of clogged arteries and heart disease. People with heart disease should not consume more than 200 mg of cholesterol per day. Even if you don't have heart disease, you should still limit your cholesterol intake to 300 mg or less. You can do this by:
- Avoid egg yolks. When cooking, try using an egg substitute.
- Don't eat offal because the cholesterol is very high
- Reduce consumption of red meat.
- Replace full-fat dairy products with skim and low-fat products. Dairy products include milk, yogurt, cream, and cheese.
Step 2. Avoid trans fats and saturated fats
Both types of fat increase cholesterol levels. Because the body needs less fat, you can get it from unsaturated fats. Reduce consumption of unhealthy fats by:
- Cook with monounsaturated fats such as canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil. Avoid using palm oil, lard, butter, or frozen fat.
- Eat lean meats, such as poultry and fish.
- Limit cream, hard cheese, sausage, and milk chocolate.
- Pay attention to ready-made food ingredients. Foods that are advertised as trans-fat-free also usually contain trans-fats. Read food labels and look for partially hydrogenated oils. These oils are trans fats. Products that typically contain trans fats are butter and crackers, cakes, and commercial pastries. Margarine also contains trans fats.
Step 3. Satisfy hunger with fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins and fiber, with very low fat and cholesterol. Eat 4-5 servings of fruit and 4-5 servings of vegetables daily. You can increase your fruit and vegetable consumption by:
- Start the meal with a lettuce dish. That way, you won't feel hungry when you see fatty foods like meat. Apart from that, you can also control the portions. Make a lettuce dish from a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as greens, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, avocados, oranges, and apples.
- Eat fruit for dessert instead of fatty alternatives like cakes, pies, breads, or sweets. When making fruit lettuce, do not add sugar. Instead, enjoy the natural sweetness of the fruit. Popular fruit options are mangoes, oranges, apples, bananas, and pears.
- Bring fruit and vegetables to work or school to stave off hunger before mealtimes. The night before, prepare a lunch box containing carrots, apples, and bananas.
Step 4. Lower cholesterol by choosing high-fiber foods
Fiber can help you control cholesterol. Fiber is considered a "natural cleanser" and regular consumption will lower cholesterol levels. You will also feel fuller so you will eat less foods that are high in cholesterol and high in calories. An easy way to increase your fiber intake is to replace simple carbohydrates with whole grains. You can try:
- Wheat bread
- Bran
- Brown rice. Avoid white rice.
- Oatmeal
- Wheat pasta
Step 5. Discuss the use of supplements with your doctor
Be wary of products that promise unrealistic cholesterol lowering. The POM does not strictly regulate supplements like drugs. This means that not many tests have been done to test its effectiveness and the recommended dosage is inconsistent. It's important to know that even though the ingredients are natural, supplements can interact with other medications, including over-the-counter drugs. Therefore, you should consult your doctor before using any supplements, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or nursing a child. Supplements to consider are:
- Artichoke
- Oat bran
- Barli
- Garlic
- Whey protein
- Blond psyllium
- Cytostanol
- Beta-sitosterol
Step 6. Avoid red yeast supplements
Some red yeast supplements contain lovastatin, which is dangerous to take if not monitored by a medical professional. Instead of using red yeast with lovastatin, it is safer to see a doctor for a drug that is strictly regulated and medically supervised.
Method 3 of 3: Using Medication
Step 1. Talk to your doctor about statins
Statins are very commonly used to lower cholesterol. These drugs prevent the liver from producing cholesterol and force the liver to remove cholesterol from the blood. Statins can also reduce blockages in the arteries. Once on a statin, you may have to continue taking it for the rest of your life because your cholesterol will increase if you stop taking the drug. Side effects include headaches, muscle aches, and digestive problems. Commonly used statins are:
- Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
- Fluvastatin (Lescol)
- Lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev)
- Pitavastatin (Livalo)
- Pravastatin (Pravachol)
- Rosuvastatin (Crestor)
- Simvastatin (Zocor)
Step 2. Ask about bile acid binding resins
This drug binds to bile acids so the liver can remove cholesterol from the blood in the process of producing more bile acids. Commonly used bile acid binding resins are:
- Cholestyramine (Prevalite)
- Colesevelam (Welchol)
- Colestipol (Colestid)
Step 3. Prevent cholesterol absorption with medication
The following medications prevent the small intestine from absorbing cholesterol from food during digestion:
- Ezetimibe (Zetia), which can also be used in addition to statins. When used alone, this drug does not cause side effects.
- Ezetimibe-simvastatin (Vytorin), a combination drug that lowers cholesterol absorption and reduces the body's ability to produce cholesterol. Side effects are digestive problems and muscle pain.
Step 4. Ask about new medications if the medications you are taking are not working
The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a drug that patients can inject one to two times per month. These drugs increase the amount of cholesterol that the liver absorbs. Usually, this injectable drug is given to patients who have had a heart attack or stroke, and are at risk of having another attack. The example is:
- Alirocumab (Praluent)
- Evolocumab (Repatha)
Warning
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or may become pregnant before using any medication.
- Provide your doctor with a list of all medications you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, supplements, and herbal remedies. Your doctor can tell you whether one or more of them interact with the cholesterol medication you are taking.
