Natural Home Remedies For High Cholesterol

Cholesterol, when we hear it, we usually associate it with negativity. However, cholesterol are also vital in our bodies in maintaining a lot of bodily functions like maintaining cell membrane's selective permeability, conversion of sunlight into usable Vitamin D, production of sex hormones, and a lot more.

Since cholesterol is hydrophobic or afraid of water (our body is predominantly composed of water), cholesterol cannot travel in our blood stream without the help of a carrier molecule called lipoprotein. There are two types of cholesterol carried by the lipoprotein:

• Bad cholesterol
• Good cholesterol

But what happens when we have high levels of bad cholesterol? Our blood vessels would get blocked and this can cause atherosclerosis which can often lead to a stroke or heart attack. This is why it is absolutely necessary to control the levels.

What are the normal levels?

Optimal levels for cholesterol is less than 5mmol/L

How do we get high cholesterol?

A buildup of cholesterol is mainly due to our lifestyle. Some lifestyle factors are: diet, activities (or lack thereof), weight, intake of alcohol and smoking habits. On the other hand, your genes may also be the cause of this buildup, your age, your culture, your sex, so on.

So by doing drastic lifestyle changes, you can reduce the levels of your cholesterol dramatically. But the question still remains, what are the most common herbs to lower high cholesterol?

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OPTION 1. FRESH GARLIC

Garlic is a very common spice you can find in the kitchen and it can be utilized to help remedy some very common problems, including high cholesterol. it improves circulation and prevent the buildup of cholesterol in the walls of the blood vessels.

Fresh garlic should be eaten as it is--raw, chopped or crushed. For flavoring, you can add honey. For adults, 1-3 cloves per day is advised and for children up to 16 years, adjust the dose downwards.

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OPTION 2. GARLIC TABLETS

The garlic tablets must be made from garlic extract that is either in extract or in powder form. It should also have an active allicin content of 5-12 mg. This is good if there are no fresh garlic in your kitchen.

As garlic can affect digestion when taken for long period of time, it is advisable to lower the dose to a minimum or alternate months (take garlic for a month and don't take for another).

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OPTION 3. ARTICHOKES

If you love artichokes and have contemplated cutting it from your diet, please do not. It is quite helpful in reducing the cholesterol levels. It does this by inhibiting a certain enzyme in our body. Aside from the vitamins and minerals found in artichokes (Vit A, B, potassium), it also contains cynarin, a compound that increases the bile production in the body. This increase in bile would naturally reduce the cholesterol.

However, if you are allergic to it, discontinue taking it and stick to other natural options.

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OPTION 4. LIME TREE FLOWER TEA

Some people call this lime tree flower as Linden. It is used to lower high blood pressure and people who are stressed but it can also be useful in lowering high cholesterol levels.

For adults, a cup of tea thrice a day is advised and for children up to 16 years old, adjust the dose downwards.