Cholesterol Lowering Diet - Learn About a Cholesterol Lowering Diet for Optimal Health

A cholesterol lowering diet is usually one of the first steps physicians take to lower LDL cholesterol, which is the “bad” cholesterol. The other steps include regular exercise and weight loss. In a 1998 study, 103 male and female patients of diverse ages and ethnic backgrounds found that for every 1 percent drop in saturated fat, their was a 1 percent lowering of LDL in the patients. It is suggested that at least a six-month program of reduced dietary saturated fat and cholesterol, along with physical activity and weight control should be the primary treatment before resorting to drug therapy. In some cases the cholesterol lowering diet doesn’t lower the LDL cholesterol sufficiently, possibly due to genetically predisposal to high blood cholesterol, and then physicians tend to lean toward prescription drugs.

Statin Drugs and Their Side Effects

It has been stated that approximately 9 million Americans are on some type of drug therapy for high cholesterol. One of the most prescribed types of drugs is the statin drugs. The statin prescriptions quite often have a slew of side effects that can be worse than the high LDL itself. The statin drugs can block the manufacture of important nutrients like CoQ10, which has been determined to benefit heart health. Other side effects may include debilitating muscle pain, liver problems, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headaches and a skin rash. Aching muscles are extremely common among the statin drug users and can be a sign that body tissues are breaking down and can lead to kidney failure.

Natural Products without Side Effects

The statin drugs tend to get prescribed more than they need to be and quite often in larger doses than necessary. Another option that could be implemented along with a cholesterol lowering diet would be one of the natural products that are on the market. The natural products can help lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol, which is the “good” cholesterol without all the side effects. These natural products may help lower LDL cholesterol and possibly replace statin drugs that have been previously prescribed with the support of the prescribing physician.

Thinking about High Cholesterol

A cholesterol lowering diet would be beneficial to most people, even those who have no history of high cholesterol, as it is difficult to live in today’s fast paced society with all the fast food, which is the leading cause of high cholesterol, without developing high cholesterol at some point in life. Researching the options available for treating high cholesterol before seeking the advice of a physician may help one steer away from the problem of cholesterol lowering drugs being prescribed more than necessary.

Len Gibb is a webmaster who focuses on a wide array of niche health topics. His latest website - Natural Cholesterol Supplement focuses on cholesterol as a whole, and in particular, a natural product we personally use with excellent health results known as - Cholest-Natural