Excess cholesterol in the blood can cause it to build up in the walls of arteries. This makes them narrow and restricts flow of blood to the heart. This can lead to a heart attack. High cholesterol levels are the most common cause of heart disease and the higher your levels the greater the risk of coronary heart disease.
Cholesterol builds up silently sometimes without any symptoms. It is therefore very important to get cholesterol levels checked at least once every 5 years. Total cholesterol levels of less than 200 mg/dL should be aimed for. HDL or High Density Lipoprotein cholesterol should be 40 mg/dL or higher while LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/dL. Triglycerides should be less than 150 mg/dL.
Reducing cholesterol levels also reduces the risk of heart disease. Cholesterol levels can be lowered by regular physical exercise, eating healthy, non-fatty foods, quitting smoking, reducing stress. Along with lifestyle changes there various natural food and herbs that also help to maintain optimum cholesterol levels.
Foods that contain Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Fiber, Soy protein, Coenzyme Q10 have been shown to be able to reduce cholesterol. Fresh garlic is also excellent at reducing cholesterol.
The premier herb that helps control cholesterol levels is Guggul. The benefits of Guggul in removing plaque from arteries was documented even in ancient Indian texts. Studies have shown that Guggul can lower blood cholesterol by 14-27% and can lower triglycerides by 22-30%. Being a natural plant extract, it is a much safer product as compared to prescription medications such as the drug Baycol which was withdrawn after deaths were reported with its usage.
More information on Guggul benefits
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