13 Tips to Lower High Cholesterol and Triglycerides

By Shalini Attre+

If your recent lipid profile tests show elevated levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, it’s time you took steps to control them.

High cholesterol level is an invitation to heart ailments.

Cholesterol is a fat like substance that deposits in your body cells. It is of two types- HDL or High density lipoprotein cholesterol and LDL low density lipoprotein cholesterol. HDL is the good cholesterol and LDL is the bad one. This is because LDL causes deposition of cholesterol or plaque in the arteries which can cause heart disease. HDL is good for your heart as it takes cholesterol from different body parts to the liver from where it gets expelled.

Triglycerides are another form of fat that gets deposited in your cells. It causes narrowing or blocking of arteries and ultimately leads to heart disease.

How can you lower LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides?

Here are some useful tips to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels naturally:

Try these Herbal remedies-
1.Garlic: Add garlic to your food routine. Eat 2-3 cloves of raw garlic daily in the morning by chewing it nicely. You can also add a piece of garlic to a glass of milk while boiling it. Drink the milk regularly for 3-4 weeks. Garlic helps lower the cholesterol and triglycerides by clearing the arterial blockages.
2.Coriander: Coriander is a natural diuretic. It helps flush out the bad cholesterol from the body through the kidneys. You can add coriander leaves or seeds to your dishes. You can also drink a decoction of coriander seeds daily to lower cholesterol levels. It is made by boiling a cup of water with 2 teaspoons of coriander seeds (crushed into powder form). Strain the liquid and drink it twice a day to bring down the bad cholesterol.
3.Indian Gooseberry or Amla: Eat fresh amla daily to clear out the arteries blocked with plaque. You can also take 1 tsp of dried amla powder with a cup of lukewarm water on empty stomach on a daily basis. It will bring down your lipid profile in a few weeks.
4.Holy Basil or Tulsi: Add 3-4 drops of extract of basil leaves to half a cup of water and drink it daily. You can also chew 3-5 leaves of Holy basil daily to keep your cholesterol and triglycerides under check by dissolving the accumulated plaque from the arterial walls.
5.Alfalfa: It is another herb that helps clear the arteries clogged with cholesterol. Consult your doctor for specific dosage suited to you.
6.Guggul: Guggul helps lower high LDL cholesterol levels and helps maintain normal lipid levels and metabolism. Guggul extract can be taken in the dosage of 25 gm thrice a day for 3-4 months for reducing cholesterol and triglycerides.

7.Arjuna powder: These are two herbs that help lower the lipid counts too, by reducing the bad cholesterol levels. Take 1-3 grams of Arjuna powder daily as it has cholesterol regulating properties.
8.Neem: Neem helps reduce high cholesterol and high blood pressure. It can be taken in the form of neem leaf extract or neem capsules. It should be used in low doses. Drinking neem tea after meals for a month also helps reduce the lipid profile.

9.Curry leaves: Curry leaves can be added fresh or in dried form to your dishes, soups or salads. Curry leaves are effective in lowering your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Foods that help lower cholesterol and triglycerides-
1.Orange Juice: If you boost the good HDL cholesterol level, the bad LDL cholesterol will go down automatically. Orange juice is full of Vitamin C and flavonoids that lower your LDL cholesterol by boosting your HDL cholesterol. Have 2 glassfuls of orange juice daily to keep your lipid profile under control.
2.Load up on Soluble Fibre: Add more of soluble fibre in your diet. It helps absorb the bad cholesterol and flushes it out of your system effectively. Psyllium husk, whole grains like brown rice and oats are excellent sources of soluble fibre content. Add a handful of fruits and nuts like almond and walnut to oatmeal and eat your way to good cholesterol count!
3.Omega 3 Fatty Acids: They help cut down the fat in your blood stream, so Omega 3 fatty acids are a great way of lowering high cholesterol levels. Add flaxseed powder to your salads, sandwiches, soup or curd to boost your intake of omega 3 fatty acids. Tuna, salmon and herring are non vegetarian sources of the same.

Other ways of lowering cholesterol and triglycerides-
1.Physical workout: Add any form of physical exercise to your routine. It helps increase the oxygenation of body cells that flushes out the harmful toxins. This helps lower cholesterol and triglycerides levels. A 20-minute walk daily, deep breathing exercises like alternate nostril pranayama or the yogic breath, yogasanas like vajrasana, shalabh asana or ardh matsyendra asnana are a few ways to help lower the cholesterol.

These are some of the ways to control high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. However, proper medication, healthy diet and exercise go hand in hand to keep cholesterol in control. Do consult your doctor before adding these supplements or remedies to your diet. more