As much as we take care of ourselves and lead a healthy lifestyle, cholesterol sometimes arrives without warning. And when we see it in our tests or the doctor gives us the dreaded news, the only thing we can do is get down to work to reduce it. There are no excuses.
Do you have high cholesterol? There are many foods and supplements that can help you reduce it. Along with them, it is most likely that your GP will prescribe a medication or pill to lower the levels. Far from wanting to encourage you to give up these types of drugs (sometimes very necessary), we intend to give your ideas and information so that you can also work on reducing your cholesterol in a more natural way.
For this, medicinal plants can help you a lot, because through infusions, oils or even through diet, you can provide your body with substances that collaborate very effectively in this arduous task of reducing cholesterol. Here are 5 very effective medicinal plants to lower cholesterol quickly and naturally.
What to do when you have high cholesterol?
The main thing is to review your lifestyle. If you’ve been diagnosed with “bad cholesterol,” this can have an impact on your cardiovascular health. The best way to take care of your heart is by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. To do this, start by consuming fruits, vegetables and greens; legumes and derivatives and less processed meats, consume more heart-healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts, avocado and oily fish. Gradually eliminate refined cereals (white bread, cookies, etc.) and replace them with whole grains.
If you are one of those who thinks that a glass of wine can improve your cardiovascular health, forget it. There is no safe consumption of alcohol for your heart. Of course, other tips like relieving stress and engaging in daily physical activity can help. Once you have these aspects handled, you can think about going further and introducing a supplement that can help you a little more. Always remember to contact a health professional and not supplement on your own so as not to suffer any adverse effects.
5 medicinal plants that help lower cholesterol levels
What medicinal plants help lower cholesterol levels? Many times we have them closer than we think and we do not realize it. Here are several ideas that can help you:
1 Turmeric
This herbaceous plant has properties that can help you reduce cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. It is usually used as a spice in the kitchen for the preparation of various dishes and recipes : stews, rice… However, you can also ingest it as an infusion . To do this, you must boil a liter of water and add a tablespoon of turmeric powder. After that, you have to let it boil for 10 more minutes and then filter. Finally, you can add honey and/or lemon to taste to sweeten the infusion.
2 Green Tea
Perfect for any time of the day, green tea has many benefits for our body. It is well known for helping to burn fat and for being an antioxidant. However, among its other properties is that it is a mild stimulant, diuretic, satiating and, of course, acts as a protector of the arteries and cholesterol reducer.
3 Dandelion
This medicinal plant reduces high blood pressure and, therefore, cholesterol, but it will also help you strengthen your bones, control diabetes and prevent anemia. The infusion is prepared from the dried leaves that are thrown into boiling water for 5 minutes. Subsequently, they are strained and sweetened to taste with honey, the recommended dose being 2 cups a day.
4 Artichoke
It is one of the healthiest and most beneficial herbaceous plants, in addition to the fact that we can take great advantage of it. Not only can we cook it and take advantage of the active ingredients found in its leaves, but we can also take advantage of the resulting water to drink it as an infusion. Including artichokes and their infusion in our diet has shown that it is possible to combat high cholesterol and triglycerides.
5 Flax seeds
They are a great help to prevent high cholesterol levels from getting worse, as there are studies that indicate that flax seeds have positive effects on cholesterol control. They are rich in unsaturated fatty acids which have an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. But another of the positive points of these seeds if we incorporate them as a complement to our diet is that they are a great ally against constipation, due to their high fiber content.
We can add them to dishes raw, for breakfast mixed with milk or yogurt or as an infusion. To do this, we will prepare a teaspoon of seeds for every 100 ml of water and let it boil for 8 minutes. Strain, let stand and, finally, sweeten to taste with a little honey or lemon.
And you? Do you have high cholesterol? What health tips are you going to put into practice to keep it at bay? Do you use any medicinal plant to reduce it? Tell us all your natural remedies in the comments!
