If your cholesterol reading is above 200mg/dl then you will be advised to try to reduce cholesterol in the body. High cholesterol can lead to a range of health problems that can ultimately lead to heart failure or a stroke. Also, because the complications of cholesterol tend to creep up on a person, it is far more prudent to prevent the level from rising rather than trying some fast acting cure. This article will discuss how to reduce cholesterol as a way of preventing heart disease and other related problems.

Reducing cholesterol is actually quite simple in the early stages. It is a case of taking on regular exercise and changing your eating habits. In effect, changing your lifestyle.

Exercise works on two levels. It helps to burn off the food that you eat each day thus preventing weight gain. Also by being active, you are not only working the leg or arm muscles but all parts of the body. This includes the cardiovascular, immune and digestive systems. In terms of the cardiovascular system, this will help blood circulate through the system and reduce the chances of LDL cholesterol sticking to the artery walls.

There is no need to be drastic in this when it comes to exercise. Consult your doctor before hand and establish a good starting point for your exercise routine. This might be a half hour walk each day. As you get used to the exercise, you can push this out to one hour or you can take on more strenuous activities. You could start playing tennis, squash or go to the gym. The important part is to be consistent and stick to the routine.

Changing your diet involves reducing your intake of fatty foods and animal products. If you are overweight it may also include reducing your calorific intake.

You want to avoid saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are things like butter, lard, cream and cheese. Trans fats are another name for hydrogenated vegetable oil. This is vegetable oil that has hydrogen injected into it. It produces a product that is cheap to make and is a useful flavor enhancer and preservative for the food industry. Trans fats are used in cakes, biscuits and many other processed foods. Both saturated and trans fats raise the level of LDL cholesterol in the body.

Avoid fatty meats and dairy products. These types of food increase the level of LDL cholesterol in the body. Cut off excess fat and skin in chicken. Use low fat alternatives for things like milk, coconut milk, cream and cheese.

Eat fresh produce. Try to eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as possible. They act as fiber and can improve the efficiency of excreting cholesterol from the body. Whole grain foods have a similar effect as fresh fruit and vegetables. Whole grain foods are things like porridge, muesli, some breakfast cereals and brown rice.

Eat products with plant sterols in. It has been proved that plant sterol reduces the absorption of cholesterol into the body. Plant sterols are artificially added to products like margarines, spreads and yogurts.

Stop smoking. Smoking lowers the amount of HDL cholesterol in the body and binds carbon monoxide with red blood cells when they should be binding with oxygen. HDL cholesterol is known as good cholesterol because it transports cholesterol out of the body.

Reducing your trans fats intake can reduce overall cholesterol levels. Find out about the more about the dangers of trans fat oil in your diet at http://www.lowcholesteroldieting.com . Adrian writes on issues related to reducing cholesterol and how to monitor cholesterol levels. See All articles From Author Tags:

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Word Count Appx. : 595 | Article Views 332 Published 03-02-2008