SearchExclusive.com

Top ways to lower cholesterol levels

Statins are the first type of medication prescribed to bring high LDL cholesterol within normal limits. However, they can have varied side-effects, and even be ineffective, in case your cholesterol problem stems from a genetic disorder.

Read on to know about the different alternatives to statins that can help treat high cholesterol.

Medication
Below are a few alternatives to statins that your healthcare provider might recommend.

Bile acid sequestrants
Sequestrants bind themselves to bile acid in the intestines and get flushed out of the body via the stool. The liver starts absorbing more cholesterol if it senses a drop-in bile acid content. This entire cycle ends in effective reduction of LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Bile-acid-binding medicines include colestipol, cholestyramine, and colesevelam.

Ezetimibe
The second most recommended form of treatment – ezetimibe, is an inhibitor medicine that has a two-pronged approach to lowering your cholesterol. It first blocks proteins that facilitate the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine, decreasing the cholesterol levels reaching the bloodstream.

Second, the inhibitors work to reduce the amount of cholesterol available to the liver. This forces the liver to make up for the loss, by absorbing cholesterol from the bloodstream. Together, these effects can successfully lower your cholesterol levels.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Vitamin B3 or niacin is a promoter of good cholesterol (HDL) in the body. It also attacks adipose tissue, ridding it off high triglyceride stores. It does this by inhibiting the synthesis of triglycerides and the secretion of LDL particulates. Although niacin is not as effective as bile acid sequestrants or ezetimibe, doctors recommend Vitamin B3 to regulate blood cholesterol levels and save you from the side-effects of statins.

Fibrates
Very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) are carriers of triglycerides and cholesterol. Fibrates, which are derivatives of fibric acid, drive the liver to reduce its production of VLDL. Simultaneously, they also speed up the process of triglyceride removal from the blood circulation. Clofibrate, gemfibrozil, and fenofibrate are examples of fibrate medicines.

Omega-3
Research shows that polyunsaturated fatty acids or Omega-3 fatty acids make good cholesterol (HDL) in the body. They help keep your triglyceride levels in check and are effective in reducing bad cholesterol levels. Although Omega-3s are available from food sources like fish and flaxseed, there are supplements that you should use for effectual treatment of cholesterol.

The medicine options discussed above can have potentially had side-effects and interactions with other medications. A proper consultation with your doctor is needed before you can begin alternative treatment.

Dietary Changes

High cholesterol levels are mostly a result of dietary habits. Increase your intake of naturally low-intensity saturated fat, and minimize your intake of unhealthy processed oils. The myth around saturated fat being bad for cholesterol has been disproved time and again. But remember to opt for clean, natural sources of fat, and cut your intake of processed food and sugar.

Foods that need to be included in your dietary changes include:

Spinach
All green vegetables contain a yellow pigment lutein, still, spinach carries the highest amount. Lutein helps the arteries repel cholesterol particulates that can lead to artery clogging and cause a stroke or heart attack.
Avocado
This fruit contains beta-sitosterol, which is a plant-based fat that attacks cholesterol molecules and decreases their rate of absorption from food.
Chocolate
Dark or bitter chocolate compounds are power-packed with antioxidants, these keep blood platelets from getting attached to each other and clogging the arteries. Ensure you eat dark chocolate (ideally above 70%).
Olive Oil
Olive oil should be used for cooking purposes as it contains more plant fat that prevents cholesterol to be absorbed into the bloodstream. This can be a great alternative to statins.
Beans
Beans are a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids, as well as loaded with gut-healthy fiber. Fiber causes a decrease in the rate of absorption of bad cholesterol.
Tea
Research has unearthed many benefits surrounding tea. Tea has a number of antioxidant properties. It works to not only help beat cancerous cells but also helps reduce lipid concentration in the blood.
Garlic
Similar to lutein, garlic carries molecules that thwart the formation of plaque, by holding back cholesterol from sticking to the walls of your arteries.
Red Wine
If you’re drinking alcohol, opt for red wine. Red wine is rich in antioxidants and resveratrol, which protect your body from additional damage.
Oats
Oats are another cholesterol-lowering food, containing beta-glucan, which can absorb LDL cholesterol.

Exercise
Physical exertion is key to keeping cholesterol numbers within the healthy range. Cardiologists recommend starting with low intensity exercises such as brisk walking or gardening and slowly build up towards a more rigorous workout routine. For example:

Running, jogging
Hiking
Swimming
Bicycling
Sports like tennis or soccer

If possible, you can also start weight training that will lead to muscle build up. This helps in burning more calories and improving your body’s metabolism and they can work as an alternative to statins.

Now that you know about the various alternatives to statins, go on, work that bad cholesterol out of your system, and lead a healthier life.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.