cholesterol symptoms & remedies -Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by the liver and is an essential part of the proper functioning of the body. But as they say,

“Too much of anything is hazardous to humans”

• This stands absolutely true for Cholesterol as high cholesterol levels worsen the condition of a person and result in heart and neural illnesses.
• Before going further, let us read more about Cholesterol, its types, high cholesterol symptoms, and ways of reducing cholesterol with the intake of a cholesterol-lowering diet.

Cholesterol and its Types(cholesterol symptoms & remedies )

Cholesterol is a waxy substance which is carried through blood on proteins known as Lipoproteins, these are mainly of two types-

High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL Levels)

Also known as “Good Cholesterol”, it carries the increased cholesterol from parts of your body back to the liver where the excess cholesterol is removed from your body.

Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL Levels)

Known as “Bad Cholesterol”, LDL constitutes the major part of your body’s cholesterol. High LDL cholesterol levels result in heart attacks, chest pain, and strokes.

Factors leading to High Cholesterol

Poor diet- Eating animal products, baked cookies, crackers, or microwaved popcorns contains saturated fat and trans fats that can raise your cholesterol level. Foods that have a high cholesterol level, such as red meat and fat-based dairy products also increases your cholesterol.

Heredity- Genetically carried high cholesterol also run in families.

Obesity- Gaining weight is one of the major reasons for high cholesterol as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more puts you at risk.

Lack of exercise- Workouts helps in boosting your body’s good cholesterol whereas lack of it would increase bad cholesterol.

Smoking- Smoking cigarettes have immensely harmful effects one among those is that it damages the walls of your blood vessels, putting them at greater risks of fat accumulation and also reduces your good cholesterol.

Age- As a person ages, the liver becomes less capable to remove LDL cholesterol, and hence the bad cholesterol keeps increasing.

Diabetes- High blood sugar damages the lining of your arteries and contributes to higher levels of Very-Low-Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) and lowers the HDL cholesterol level.

Symptoms of High Cholesterol

There are no symptoms that would indicate a high cholesterol level and only a blood test would help you know about it. However, if you notice any of the below mentioned ailments you should see a doctor-

• If you have a high blood pressure.
• You are overweight.
• If you smoke or drink too much.

Tests for Cholesterol Levels

• Total cholesterol
• Non- HDL
• Low density lipoprotein (LDL)
• High density lipoprotein (HDL)

Healthy levels are mentioned in the table below-

Ways of Reducing Cholesterol

Since an unhealthy lifestyle is the major cause of increased cholesterol levels so following a controlled and healthy routine would automatically result in lowering your cholesterol levels and keeping it under control. 

Following are some of the ways that can help you-

• Eat a low-salt diet and stress on having fruits, vegetables, whole grains, while avoiding saturated fats and trans fats which are primarily found in red meat, or full-fat dairy products.
• Consuming foods with Omega-3 fatty acids would help in maintaining your heart health. Include salmon, mackerel, herring, walnuts, and flaxseeds in meals.
• Soluble fibers reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Food items such as oatmeal, kidney beans, brussels sprouts, apples, and pears would be great to consume.
• Whey protein, as a supplement, lowers LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol as well as keeps the blood pressure in control. We mainly find it in dairy products.
• Focus on exercise and always maintain a healthy weight that would not only keep your cholesterol at moderate levels but would also keep you active and refreshed.
• Quit smoking and drink alcohol occasionally, if at all.
• Don’t stress too much as stress results in certain imbalances in your body. If you keep yourself in a jolly mood you may win over a lot of problems.

Home Remedies for Cholesterol Control

• Adding natural ingredients in your food such as Amla, Coriander seeds, Garlic, Turmeric, and Honey would cut down your cholesterol. Include these in your meals and reach the desired results.
• Drinking fresh red cranberry juice, citrus juices, red wine, grape juice, cherry juice, and pomegranate juice would also help.
• Having seen the dangerous effects of High Cholesterol brings the need for Ayurvedic Cholesterol Lotion i.e. Aarogyam Shakti Cholesterol Lotion which is 100% organic, safe, and easy to use. It not only provides nourishment to the skin but also helps in balancing cholesterol levels. This is an easy way of watching over your cholesterol without having to do much change in your lifestyle.