Health is one of our most precious possessions, but at the same time it can be more or less frail. Many are the circumstances threatening it, and most often we expose ourselves to such circumstances without even knowing. Food, which is essential to the maintenance of our lives, can endanger our health mostly if we do not pay attention to some of the signals our organisms send to us. A cholesterol level higher than the normal one can be determined by the food we eat and enjoy most, as well as it can be a hereditary predisposition. In both cases, cholesterol reduction is crucial if we want to restore or to maintain a normal level. Moreover, a natural cholesterol reduction exceeds in many aspects other treatments based on prescription drugs.

When it comes to cholesterol reduction, what everybody should know is that this lipid, naturally produced by all animal organisms, is not entirely pernicious. In fact, there are two most important types of cholesterol, namely, HDL – or high density lipoprotein – and LDL – or low density lipoprotein. The first one is also referred to as the “good" cholesterol, whereas the latter is also called the “bad" cholesterol. HDL is essential to the way our organism work, as it is decisive in the production and the composition of cell membranes, steroid hormones and it generally represents a necessary premise for a proper functionality of the organism. On the other hand, LDL is associated with heart diseases caused by atherosclerosis which, at its turn, is generated by LDL.

Therefore, when lowering the level of cholesterol is in question, one must know that LDL is the topic. In fact, heart diseases and other disorders associated with cholesterol are triggered both by hypercholesterolemia, or high level of LDL, and low level of HDL. This is why a natural cholesterol reduction is implicitly a process meant to increase the level of HDL, regardless of a manner intended to diminish the level of LDL.

A natural cholesterol reduction must begin with a change in our dietary habits. First of all, we have to cut out fatty foods, such as dairy, yolks, fat meat, shrimps, organs, pastry, and the list may continue. Second of all, we must increase the intake of healthful nutrients. Different species of fish, various types of nuts, oat, which may come in various forms, fruits and vegetables, and soy, despite the fact that the latter is a more controverted element with respect to its efficiency in restoring a normal level of cholesterol.

Food enriched with plant sterols is also an alternative or can be added as an element to a regimen meant to deal with cholesterol issues. All these healthy nutrients are recommended due to the fact that they contain certain elements able to deal with cholesterol issues. Fiber from oat, fruits and vegetables, polyunsaturated fatty acids from walnuts, pistachio and almonds, omega-3 fatty acids from fish and fish oil – all these must become regular on our daily meals.