According to heart experts, having high cholesterol can increase a person’s risk of having heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Needless to say, it is very important to keep your cholesterol within the normal and healthy range if it’s one of your goals to live a long and happy life.
While there are drugs that can help reduce cholesterol in the bloodstream called statins, their intake is known to cause some very serious side effects and risks. This is why a lot of individuals refuse to take them.
Because of its very serious nature and the complications that come with it, high cholesterol is something that should be treated with the help of your doctor. If your doctor gives you the go signal to deal with the problem through making smart dietary and lifestyle changes, you may rely on some traditional Chinese remedies for high cholesterol. The following are some of the things that you may try doing:
Get Some Garlic
Swallow a couple of peeled garlic cloves a day or include more garlic in your diet — either way can help in lowering blood cholesterol. That’s because garlic is loaded with antioxidants and the compound called allicin, which is something that can help control the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.
The very same compound is also known to help prevent the formation of blood clots, which is one of the problems that high cholesterol can bring.
Love Lemon Juice
Experts in traditional Chinese healing also recommend the intake of freshly-squeezed lemon juice throughout the day for lowering blood cholesterol levels. Thanks to the impressive amounts of antioxidants present in lemon juice, excess cholesterol present in the bloodstream can be flushed out of the body effectively.
It is suggested for you to opt for lemon juice that is freshly squeezed, and also contains the pulp which is very dense in cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber.
Take Green Tea
Another beverage that you may consume if you want to lower cholesterol without taking statins is green tea. Just like lemon juice, green tea is a phenomenal source of antioxidants proven to zap excess cholesterol in the bloodstream, thus helping to lower a person’s risk of heart disease.
Both traditional Chinese healers and modern-day scientists agree that green tea is also capable of increasing the levels of good cholesterol that lowers the bad ones, and also prevents blood clots from forming.
Appreciate Apples
It’s also a wonderful idea for you to consume apples on a daily basis. Experts recommend for you to eat at least a couple of apples per day if you want to keep high cholesterol at bay. What makes apples capable of controlling cholesterol is the fact that they contain good amounts of antioxidants. Numerous studies have shown that flavonoids in apples (and also those present in onions — so include them in your diet, too!) may help lower risk of death due to cardiovascular problems.
Herbs That Heal
Everybody knows that traditional Chinese healing often involves the use of some very powerful herbs. True enough, ancient Chinese doctors recommend a wide variety of herbs for lowering blood cholesterol. Some of the most well-known ones include ginkgo biloba, hawthorn, rhubarb root and cassia seed.
However, just like when taking any other herb on the planet, make sure that you inform your doctor about your plan first. This is especially true if you have a medical condition and you are taking medications for it.
Less Stress
Scientists say that stress can indirectly contribute to cholesterol increase due to the hormones involved. It’s also something that can lead to poor eating habits and obesity, both of which can cause high cholesterol. Ancient Chinese healing has some of the most effective stress-busters such as acupuncture and massages.
If you cannot afford to pay for those ancient healing techniques from China, fret not because you may also tend to your garden, listen to music, read a book or chat with a friend if you want to deal with stress.
