Cholesterol medications are traditionally treated with cholesterol lowering medications; statins. Statins have been known to have devastating effects on the body. Common side effects include; weakness throughout the arms and legs, gas, heartburn, nausea, bloating and diarrhea, as well as more serious side effects. There are many natural ways that we can lower our cholesterol besides the traditional medication options, as well as reduced diet and exercise. Whether the food that we eat, or the choices that we choose to input into our body.
Taking a quality multi vitamin daily can decrease the risk for heart disease, and lower the risk for cholesterol to become elevated. Important components of the multi vitamin include vitamin B12 and folic acid has been shown to reduce the risk of developing heart disease by thirty one percent. Folic acid is important because it has been shown to decrease the blood levels of amino acids that can cause stroke, heart disease and hyperlipidemia. B vitamins are crucial within the body as they promote a healthy heart. Therefore a well rounded multi vitamin can increase your health and decrease your risk of developing not only heart disease, but many others.
If taking a multi vitamin, beware of the iron content-large amounts of iron have been known to discount the other heart healthy vitamins and increase blood cholesterol levels. Certain foods can lower cholesterol, while decreasing the risks of heart disease. Consider something so simple as a glass of orange juice, which contains plant sterols-drinking two glasses per day has been shown to decrease cholesterol. Cranberry juice is an alternative for those who do not enjoy the taste or texture of orange juice.
Red wine has been known to decrease cholesterol, in moderation of course – it seems to remove excess from the blood, it is also helpful in decreasing a chemical within the body that causes red blood cells to constrict. Other food types such as soy and tofu can assist in decreasing the cholesterol. After twelve weeks of soy infused diets participants in a study had shown decreased cholesterol by five percent over the course of the study. There are many foods that we can choose to eat that have beneficial effects on our health, rather than foods high in sugar or fats that only increase bad cholesterol within the body.