10 Effective Home Remedies to Lower Your Cholesterol Level
Cholesterol is a lipid or fat present in the body that helps your cells function properly. When there is excess cholesterol present, it might start building up in your arteries. This makes arteries narrower. This can lead to many other serious problems like high blood pressure, heart attacks, blood clots, and strokes.
How to Reduce Cholesterol Naturally at Home?
You can try out these home remedies for cholesterol reduction.
1. Honey
Honey is rich in vitamins and minerals, and it fights cholesterol.
What You Will Need
- 1 cup of hot water
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 8-10 drops of apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
How to Use
- To 1 cup of water, add 1 teaspoon of honey and drink this every day.
- To this cup, you could also add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 8-10 drops of apple cider vinegar. This is to reduce excess fat.
How It Helps
The antioxidants present in the honey do not let the cholesterol move out of your blood. They prevent the entry of cholesterol into the lining of the blood vessels. The lemon juice and apple cider vinegar help maintain normal cholesterol levels.
2. Garlic
Garlic can be consumed on a daily basis.
What You Will Need
- 2-4 cloves of garlic
How to Use
- You could put 2-4 cloves of garlic in a cup of warm water to consume daily.
- Freshly grated garlic or raw garlic can be used in many dishes like dal, rasam, salad dressings, and even soups.
How It Helps
The anti-clotting factors and the sulfur content present in the garlic helps to reduce the formation of plaque in blood vessels and helps in balancing the cholesterol level.
3. Turmeric
Turmeric can be added to your vegetables and curries.
What You Will Need
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoons eggplant (cooked and mashed)
- 1-2 spoons water
- Whole wheat bread
How to Use
- You should first boil 2 tablespoons of mashed and cooked eggplant and ¾ teaspoons of turmeric in 1-2 spoons of water.
- Then spread this resultant paste on whole wheat bread.
- You should eat this after meals.
How It Helps
Turmeric helps to lower LDL cholesterol and cuts down the build-up of plaques in the arterial walls. This helps in lowering your blood cholesterol.
4. Fenugreek Seeds
Fenugreek has many wonderful medicinal qualities.
What You Will Need
- ½ or 1 teaspoon powdered fenugreek
- A cup of warm water
How to Use
- You can consume ½ or 1 teaspoon of powdered fenugreek every day by putting it in warm water. You can do this once or twice a day.
- You could also soak the seeds each night to avoid bitterness.
How It Helps
Fenugreek helps to reduce the absorption of cholesterol that comes from fat-rich foods because it has components like steroidal saponins.
5. Coriander Seeds
Coriander is rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A.
What You Will Need
- 1 cup of water
- 2 teaspoons coriander seed powder
- Milk
- Sugar
- Cardamom powder
How to Use
- Add 2 teaspoon of coriander seed powder to 1 cup of water.
- Boil this water for a few seconds and strain it.
- Add some sugar, milk, and cardamom powder and drink it 2-3 times per day.
How It Helps
Coriander helps to lower the levels of triglycerides and cholesterol. The seeds have a hypoglycaemic effect. Hence, coriander seeds are good for diabetic patients, too.
6. Indian Gooseberry
Indian gooseberry is full of Vitamin C and minerals. It is also a very good anti-oxidant.
What You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon of gooseberry powder
- 1 glass of warm water
How to Use
- You can put 1 teaspoon of gooseberry powder in a glass of warm water.
- Drink this liquid every morning on an empty stomach.
How It Helps
Gooseberry helps to strengthen the muscles in the heart and reduces excess cholesterol which is accumulated. They also help to maintain the arteries.
7. Ginger
Ginger has amazing medicinal properties.
What You Will Need
- 1 small piece Peeled ginger
- 50ml milk
- 200 ml water
How to Use
- Start by crushing the ginger into a paste.
- On moderate heat, boil this paste in 200ml water and 50ml milk.
- Keep stirring this solution to avoid charring of ginger at the bottom of the vessel.
- When there is only 50ml of water remaining, filter the contents.
- Consume this recipe when it is still hot.
How It Helps
Ginger helps to reduce cholesterol and lowers the LDL cholesterol to a similar extent.
8. Onions
It is found that red onions are more useful than the normal ones.
What You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon of onion juice
- 1 teaspoon of honey
How to Use
- Take one onion and grind it in the juicer. Add 1 teaspoon of onion juice and 1 teaspoon of honey to some water and drink.
- Alternatively, you could mix one finely chopped onion with 1/3 teaspoon of pepper to 1 cup of buttermilk.
How It Helps
When you consume this daily, it will help to reduce bad cholesterol and elevate the levels of good cholesterol.
9. Beans
You can consume any type of beans, i.e. kidney, navy, chickpea, butter or black.
What You Will Need
- 1 cup of any type of beans
How to Use
- All you have to do is eat 1 cup of your favourite beans on a daily basis for 6 weeks.
How It Helps
Beans are rich in fibres that lower cholesterol. They also help in lowering the LDL level. Taking beans every day lowers your cholesterol level by 10 per cent.
10. Chicory Root
This is an additive for coffee.
What You Will Need
- A few chicory leaves, buds, and roots.
How to Use
- Chicory roots can be used in coffee.
- Alternatively, chicory buds and leaves can be used in salads and other foodstuffs.
How It Helps
It helps to prevent cardiovascular ailments and balances the cholesterol level. They regulate the natural metabolism of cholesterol in the body and check the high production of LDL.
Note that chicory products must not be consumed when pregnant.
Lifestyle Changes to Help you Manage Cholesterol Levels
You can try these measures to lower your total cholesterol.
- Lose weight
- Cut down on saturated fats
- Exercise more
- Combine exercise and diet for better results
- Consume soluble fibre
- Eat fish instead of meat
- Consider a drink or two a day
- Don’t smoke
- Drink green tea
FAQs
People might have a lot of questions when it comes to lowering cholesterol levels in the body:
1. Which Foods are Good for High Cholesterol Patients?
You can consume the foods listed below to help lower your cholesterol.
- Oats
- Beans
- Barley
- Avocados
- Nuts like pistachios, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, or hazelnuts.
2. Which Foods Should You Avoid When You Have High Cholesterol?
You should avoid foods that are rich in saturated and trans fats as they will increase the levels of LDL or bad cholesterol in the body.
3. What Should be the Normal Cholesterol Level During Pregnancy?
In the first trimester of pregnancy, the cholesterol levels can be between 1.4 and 2.2 mg/ml. In the second trimester, the levels are between 1.8 and 3 mg/ml. During the third trimester, they can range between 2.2 and 3.5 mg/ml.
4. Does High Cholesterol Level Affect Fertility?
According to the study at the National Institutes of Health, high cholesterol levels may impair fertility in couples trying to achieve pregnancy.
Try the tips mentioned above to lower your cholesterol level. You will surely see a change in your condition in a few weeks once you have started following these natural ways to cure high cholesterol.
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