5 Ways to Lower Cholesterol Without Medication

Written by: Jon Mitchell, PA-C

It’s no secret that heart disease is the leading killer in the western world.

And since cholesterol levels are associated with cardiovascular risk...

This has led many doctors to aggressively prescribe medications in an attempt to help patients lower their elevated cholesterol levels.

But is this type of care always necessary?

Well, it turns out that there are natural ways of addressing these risks.

This is good news... because cholesterol-lowering medications have many potential side-effects — including fatigue, muscle pain, liver damage, and significantly lowering CoQ10 levels (an antioxidant which may actually fight heart disease).

Unfortunately, in practice, I rarely see physicians guiding their patients to handle cholesterol issues without medicine.

So, what can be done to naturally lower cholesterol levels without relying on medications?

I'll share 5 strategies below — Keep scrolling to see them now 👇

1. Lose Weight

I know, I know... this might be easier said than done...

But losing weight by itself has been shown to improve cholesterol markers, including total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol.

Some simple tips for shedding pounds include:

• Tracking your food intake on a food tracking app, like cronometer

• Aiming to eat between 0.5-1 gram of lean protein per pound body weight

• Removing all processed foods from your diet.

2. Limit Your Saturated Fat Intake

The research is quite clear that eating dietary cholesterol — like that in eggs — does not raise cholesterol levels in the body...

But what can is saturated fat.

So, it could be good to cut back on foods high in saturated fat, including dairy-fat, coconut oil, palm oil, or fatty cuts of meat.

Surprisingly, foods that are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat include eggs and shrimp.

3. Eat Different Types of Veggies

Many vegetables contain compounds called plant sterols that have been shown to help lower cholesterol levels when eaten over an extended period of time.

Another added benefit is that many vegetables higher in fiber help to make you feel fuller while eating, meaning you will be less likely to overeat.

4. Exercise

Research has shown that both aerobic exercise (like zone 2 training) and resistance training (lifting weights) can improve cholesterol levels independent of weight loss.

While it could be beneficial to get up and do anything, like walking several miles a day...

There does seem to be some added benefit to higher-intensity exercise that gets your heart rate up to around 75% of its maximum.

If you are unsure of how to calculate your maximum heart rate, you can use a very simple formula to estimate it:

Simply subtract your age from 220 and that is roughly your maximum heart rate.

Of course, you can also wear a heart rate monitor while you exercise and make a note of your highest level when pushing your hardest for a short period of time.

5. Improve Your Sleep Quality

In studies, it’s been difficult to directly attribute improvements in sleep quality with improved cholesterol levels...

But one thing we do know is that good sleep helps avoid food cravings.

And since maintaining a healthy weight is a great way to maintain lower cholesterol...

By getting a minimum of 7.5-8 hours of quality sleep, you'll increase the chances of makin g better food choices that positively affect your cholesterol.

Conclusion

There you have it — 5 natural ways to lower cholesterol without medication.

It may help to talk to a healthcare professional and get tested so that you can keep an eye on your own cholesterol levels.

Since heart disease is so widespread, it's good to take steps to avoid it. ❤️

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