Lower Your Cholesterol With Better Eating

About one in two American adults has borderline or high cholesterol levels, which increase one’s risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease.

Statins, medications that lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, are now among the most prescribed drugs in the country (and the world).

But medication is only part of the solution: To keep cholesterol under control, maintaining a healthy weight and diet is just as important as taking a daily pill.

The guidelines for treating high cholesterol from the National Cholesterol Education Program recommend that patients try to lower their cholesterol through Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC), which include exercise and a healthy diet, before starting a statin.

Lowering your cholesterol through eating habits and exercise means you can avoid the risk of side effects from medication entirely. Indeed, the only side effects of TLC you’ll encounter are more energy, weight loss, and better overall health.

Reduce saturated fat to no more than 7 percent of total calories, and cholesterol to no more than 200 milligrams per day.

Saturated fat is likely to raise blood cholesterol more than any other food in your diet (except for, perhaps, trans fats, which are slowly being phased out of many foods).

Read more at CNN