How to lower high cholesterol at home

Elevated cholesterol occurs in people of different ages, especially in the elderly. To find out your indicator, it's easiest to contact a clinic, take a blood test, or purchase a device for measuring a home. The level of cholesterol can be normalized on its own. How to reduce cholesterol at home, we will review with this article.

• How to determine the level of cholesterol at home
• Who needs to monitor the level
• Foods that lower cholesterol
• How to reduce cholesterol by folk remedies
• Prevention

How to determine the level of cholesterol at home

The device for measuring cholesterol is a small device, the use of which does not cause difficulties. There are different manufacturers that produce models, often sold combined instruments that measure, in addition to cholesterol, glucose, uric acid, ketones, lactic acid, etc. The devices are somewhat different from each other, but the general rules for using meters are the same:

• turn on the device;
• insert a test strip in the special hole purchased at the pharmacy;
• with the help of a special pen, we make a puncture in the finger, we apply a drop of blood to the strip;
• move the material into the device;
• After a few minutes (the waiting time depends on the model of the device), the result is displayed on the screen.

The device for measuring the composition can be used to determine cholesterol, sugar and hemoglobin in the blood. Its use has several advantages:

• Compact size allows you to take the device with you if necessary;
• when buying a manufacturer's manual with a detailed explanation of the principle of use;
• Test strips are usually bundled with the device, when they finish, you can buy the following in any pharmacy;
• the ability to quickly obtain a result, usually the entire procedure takes 2-3 minutes;
• The results storage function, which is present in most models, allows you to see the level of cholesterol in the dynamics;
• affordable price, which fully justifies itself with chronically elevated cholesterol, when the device replaces the need to regularly go to the laboratory.

Advice! Wash hands before measurement! To make the research go faster, they should not be cold. If necessary, you can shake them, so that the blood pours to the tips of your fingers.

Who needs to monitor the level

Some think that if you take a blood test for cholesterol, and the result was satisfactory, then you can not survive until the end of life. In fact, there are factors that can provoke changes in lipid metabolism, and the level of this substance will increase very quickly.

If you leave it without attention, serious complications can develop. The most dangerous is atherosclerosis, which can lead to ischemic heart disease, heart attack or stroke, thereby inflicting irreparable harm to human health. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly check the blood cholesterol level in such cases:

1. Obesity. Extra pounds, especially when there are many, may indicate a failure of metabolic processes and an increased number of lipids. In this case, the body is under great stress. In most cases, the cholesterol values ​​are much higher than normal.
2. Diseases of the cardiovascular system. High cholesterol can provoke these ailments, and vice versa, heart disease can be its cause. In chronic diseases, even a slight deviation from the norm can be dangerous.
3. Genetic predisposition. Hypercholesterolemia is a hereditary disease in which an increase in the cholesterol level in the blood occurs.
4. Bad habits. Proponents of a healthy lifestyle rarely face such a problem as elevated cholesterol. Harmful habits: smoking, alcohol abuse, sedentary lifestyle can provoke its increase.

Interesting! As for alcohol, some experts say that 150 ml of dry red wine per day contribute to lowering cholesterol! However, these data have not yet been scientifically confirmed.

Foods that lower cholesterol

If it turns out that cholesterol reduction is required, then the first thing that is advised to all patients is diet therapy. The recommended diet is not rigid, its principles in many ways resemble proper nutrition. Even if drugs can not be dispensed with and medication is prescribed, correction of nutrition is still required.

There are a number of products that have the property of lowering cholesterol. These include:

1. Products with phytosterols. In large quantities, these substances are contained in the avocado, so a day is recommended to eat at least half of this fruit. Also these phytosterols are part of olive and linseed oil, brown rice, nuts.
2. Fish fat. It contains omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids, which lower cholesterol levels. No less effective is the fish, especially salmon and sardines. It is important only to cook it correctly - steamed, stewed, baked.
3. Cellulose. This substance is contained in many porridges, so starting the day when fighting with elevated cholesterol is recommended from a plate of oatmeal. Also, other cereals, whole wheat bread, white cabbage are rich in fiber.
4. Polyphenols. Most of these substances are found in fruits and berries of red color: pomegranate, strawberry, grapes and others. Also polyphenols are part of many other fruits and vegetables, but in less concentration.
5. Garlic. With increased cholesterol a day, you need to use 2-3 cloves, adding them to different salads and other dishes.
6. Magnesium. Products containing a large percentage of this element in the composition include cabbage, especially sauerkraut, baked potatoes, a family of legumes, seeds.

Advice! At home, you can prepare many dishes based on these products! With the help of such a diet, you can not only normalize cholesterol, but also cleanse the vessels, and also remove toxins from the body.

How to reduce cholesterol by folk remedies

Folk remedies help to reduce the level of cholesterol and can be used as a supplement to diet therapy or even to drug treatment. Our ancestors knew how to get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of the disease and cleanse the body of these harmful substances. Today such popular means are popular:

1. Linen. The oil and the seed of this plant is a part of many folk remedies for cholesterol and not only. The easiest way to apply seeds, chopping them and adding to different dishes, such as salads, is also useful to use and oil. You can take 1 hour. l. seeds before each meal.
2. Linden. To prepare a linden-based product, dried flowers should be used. Grind them to the state of the powder, take 1 hour. l. three times a day before meals, with a small amount of water.
3. Dandelion. The root of the plant has practically no contraindications, therefore its application is effective in many cases. It is recommended to take 1 hour. l. ground to the state of a powder of a root, washing down with water.

Advice! The use of any national recipe without dieting will be useless!

Prevention

Preventive measures will avoid problems with cholesterol, as well as prevent possible complications. Their compliance does not require much effort, since the main prevention is a healthy lifestyle. It is important to pay attention to such factors:

1. Bad habits. To understand if you have a predilection for alcohol, you can check yourself - give up alcohol for 2 months. Some people are surprised that it is not so easy to do. It is important to eliminate other bad habits.
2. Sport. You can find many options for manifesting physical activity, among a huge variety of sports there is the opportunity to choose something to your liking.
3. Proper nutrition. The habit of eating healthy food will have a beneficial effect not only on the level of cholesterol in the blood, but also on the work of many internal organs. So it will be useful for the prevention of many diseases.

In order not to wait for the urgent need for medical care, it is necessary to regularly monitor the level of cholesterol. You can do this in any medical laboratory, but for many it is more convenient to probresti a special device for self-measurement.

Even with small deviations from the norm, it is necessary:

• observe a diet;
• You can supplement it with folk recipes;
• if necessary, contact a doctor.

All this will avoid possible complications in the form of atherosclerosis, other diseases of the cardiovascular system, etc. And the prevention of increased cholesterol will be useful for preventing and many other diseases.

Thus, the main way to reduce cholesterol - diet. Ability to control the level of this substance in the body will strengthen health and will have a beneficial effect on the general condition of the body.