What is cholesterol? How does it affect the body? Such questions people face nearly every day when talking about a healthy lifestyle. We hear a lot about diseases related to cholesterol levels, including its excess in the body. Can we actually influence the amount of this substance in the body? The answer is yes! Is the use of a certain type of herbs in the diet an effective solution in this case? The answer varies, depending on which herbs you want to use.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is an organic chemical compound that belongs to the group of fats and is found in every membrane of animal cells. Its tasks include proper stabilization of these membranes, which also translates into properties of animal cells. Nowadays we mainly talk not about cholesterol alone, but about its fractions - "good cholesterol - HDL" and "bad cholesterol - LDL".
What affects the level of cholesterol?
Cholesterol levels are influenced by many factors, in particular, the amount and frequency of physical activity and dietary habits. It is important because any kind of disturbances in the metabolism of lipids (i.e. a group of chemical compounds to which cholesterol belongs) may cause the development of such diseases like atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, or even a brain stroke. Thus, it is worth taking care of the correct amount of cholesterol in the body.
Diet at an excessive level of cholesterol
Among the home remedies for lowering cholesterol levels, natural herbal medicine is mentioned, if there are no contraindications for home remedies to include. Due to the fact that in most cases high cholesterol in the body is the result of improper diet, it is necessary to limit the intake or completely exclude from the diet such products as sweets, red meat, or products containing hydrogenated trans fats.
As already mentioned, the prerequisite for achieving adequate cholesterol levels is the exclusion of certain ingredients from the diet. It should be remembered, however, that along with the abandonment of certain products, it is necessary to enrich the diet with appropriate ones, i.e. products that will provide us with all the necessary minerals and vitamins, and also lower the level of "bad cholesterol" in the body, raising the level of "good cholesterol". These will include all kinds of vegetables and fish.
Herbs to treat cholesterol
Another way to regulate cholesterol levels in the blood is herbal medicine. Natural preparations based on herbs, such as herbal teas, as well as herbal products in the form of dietary supplements have been proven to effectively lower cholesterol levels in the blood.
Recommended herbs for cholesterol are:
- Garlic
- Red Yeast Rice
- Artichokes
- Yarrow
- Holy Basil
- Fenugreek seed
Blood cholesterol standards
Knowing the ways to regulate blood cholesterol, it is useful to know what amount is tolerable. It should be mentioned that in addition to the accepted limits, the level of cholesterol also depends on personal factors because something that is appropriate for one person, may not be so for another - this is determined, among others, by the lifestyle.
The general norms depending on gender are as follows:
in women:
- total cholesterol: 125-200 mg/dl
- LDL: less than 100 mg/dl
- HDL: at least 50 mg/dl
- non-HDL: less than 120 mg/dl
- triglycerides: less than 150 mg/dl
In men:
- total cholesterol: 125-200 mg/dl
- LDL: less than 100 mg/dl
- HDL: at least 40 mg/dl
- non-HDL: less than 130 mg/dl
- triglycerides: less than 150 mg/dl
