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High cholesterol levels in the blood can lead to a buildup of fatty substances in the blood vessels, increasing the risk of serious health problems such as heart attacks and strokes. With that said, keeping your cholesterol levels within the recommended range is essential for many health benefits, and you can lower your cholesterol with a combination of lifestyle changes and medications. Please continue reading for some tips on lowering cholesterol to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Can cholesterol be lowered in 1 week?

While lifestyle modifications can lower cholesterol levels in a few weeks, in some cases,    most people take longer to lower bad cholesterol and improve good cholesterol naturally. Lifestyle changes typically take 3 months or longer to produce a change in cholesterol levels. 

Cholesterol-lowering drugs can improve cholesterol in around 6-8 weeks on average. However, there are small habits with heart-healthy benefits that you can incorporate into your weekly routine to not only lower your cholesterol levels but also keep them within the recommended range in the long run.

How to lower cholesterol fast?

There is no quick fix or magic pill that can lower your cholesterol in 7 days. Healthy changes made over a period of 12 weeks or longer can improve your cholesterol numbers. These same lifestyle changes also help to control high blood pressure for overall cardiovascular prevention. If you are unable to lower your cholesterol naturally, your doctor may recommend cholesterol-lowering medications taken in addition to exercise and balanced diets to reduce your risk of heart disease and cardiovascular events like heart attacks and stroke.

What are the non-drug methods that help lower cholesterol?

The key things you can do to lower your cholesterol levels include:

• Eat a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat and avoid trans fat. Consuming food with omega-3 fatty acids while increasing soluble fiber is also beneficial for heart health.

• Exercise for at least 30 minutes five times a week while increasing daily physical activity, such as a brisk walk or taking the stairs when possible. 

• Lose weight.

• Stop smoking.

• Drink alcohol in moderation.

If there is no improvement in your cholesterol levels after 12 weeks of lifestyle changes, your doctor may prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins. 

It is important to continue healthy habits along with cholesterol medication. Moderate physical activity can increase the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is the “good” cholesterol. 

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What should I eat to lower my bad cholesterol levels?

Certain foods that contain soluble fiber can help reduce bad cholesterol in the blood. Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the blood. Specifically, soluble fiber dissolves in water and mops up cholesterol, eliminating it with waste instead of allowing it to enter the bloodstream. 

Soluble fiber also triggers bile acid formation in the liver, a process that requires the liver to draw on cholesterol from the bloodstream, thus lowering circulating cholesterol levels. 

Additionally, soluble fibers known as oligosaccharides help lower your cholesterol by fermenting into short-chain fatty acids in the gut, which block cholesterol formation. Soluble fiber can be found in nuts, seeds, barley, beans, lentils, oat bran, certain fruits and vegetables. 

Unlike soluble fiber, insoluble fiber doesn’t lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). However, insoluble fibers can aid digestion by helping foods move through the digestive tract.  

Insoluble fiber is also a good food source that keeps you full without being packed with calories. While insoluble fibers don’t directly cause weight loss, they help keep you full longer, reducing your intake of foods with high dietary cholesterol. Therefore, insoluble fiber should be incorporated into your daily meals if weight loss is one of your goals. Insoluble fiber can be found in vegetables, wheat bran, and whole grains. 

What foods are good for heart health?

To lower your cholesterol and your risk of cardiovascular disease, the goal should be to eat more soluble fiber and to replace saturated fats and trans fats with unsaturated fats. 

This means you should try to avoid animal products like red meat and processed meats, packaged snacks, and full-fat dairy products such as cheese, butter, and ice cream. It’s also important to avoid refined carbohydrates, such as pastas, white bread, and white rice. These starchy foods are high in calories and can lead to weight gain. They are also low in fiber, which, as mentioned, can help to reduce the bad cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. 

When planning your meals, aim to replace red meat and unhealthy saturated fat with healthy unsaturated fat. 

Some heart-healthy foods include:

• Whole grains such as oatmeal, whole grain bread

• Fatty fish and oily fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines

• Vegetables such as white beans, kidney beans, eggplant, carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts

• Fruits such as kiwi fruit and berries

• Nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, chia seeds

• Avocado

Are there any types of beverages that can help reduce cholesterol quickly? 

Water is the best drink to lower your cholesterol. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, try adding chopped fruit or herbs such as fresh mint. Other heart-healthy beverages include 100% vegetable or fruit juices with no added sugar, tea, coffee, unflavored milk, and plant-based milks like soy, rice, almond, and oat milk. Keep in mind that drinking a lot of caffeinated beverages (tea or coffee) can make you dehydrated. Drink plenty of water along with tea or coffee. You should avoid sugary drinks such as regular sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, and alcohol. 

What is high cholesterol?

There are different types of fats (lipids) in the body. While lipids get a bad rap for increasing the risks of many health complications, keep in mind that lipids carry many essential bodily functions. 

Lipids are necessary for hormone regulation, energy reserve, and nerve signal transmission. However, too much LDL (bad cholesterol) and elevated total cholesterol levels can be harmful. Cholesterol can build up in blood vessels and cause blockages, reducing blood supply to vital organs such as the heart and brain. This can increase the risk of heart disease and cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. 

According to the American Heart Association, a total cholesterol level below 200 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) is considered normal. Cholesterol levels between 200 and 239 mg/dL are borderline high. 240 mg/dL and above are considered high.

Your doctor can order a blood test called a lipid profile to measure the different types of lipids (fats) in your blood, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol or “bad” cholesterol), triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol or “good” cholesterol) as well as a total cholesterol level.