Having a high amount of cholesterol is extremely dangerous to one’s health. Having high levels of LDL cholesterol increases your risk of serious medical conditions including heart attacks or a stroke. To help keep cholesterol levels healthy, taking any of these two supplements will help to reduce health risks and keep you healthy. What are they?
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High cholesterol occurs when a person has too much of the fatty substance in their blood.
Having high blood pressure is strongly linked to leading an unhealthy lifestyle including eating too much fatty food, not getting enough physical exercise, being overweight, smoking and consuming too much alcohol.
When a build-up of cholesterol takes place, a person’s blood vessels become blocked, this makes them more likely to experience heart problems or have a stroke.
There are a few things one can do to lower their cholesterol.
Niacin is a B vitamin which doctors often suggest for patients wanting to lower their cholesterol.
Niacin can also be found in certain foods, including liver and chicken.
The daily recommended amount of niacin is 14 milligrams for women and 16 milligrams for men.
There is a warning when it comes to taking niacin supplements, however, as possible side effects include skin itching and feeling nauseas.
Another supplement one can take are plant sterols which are a group of substances made in plants.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine studied patients who were already consuming a healthy diet and taking statin drugs to control their cholesterol.
These patients then began taking plant sterols and it was reported their total cholesterol reduced by 10 percent.
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According to the study, most sterol-containing foods studies had been brands of margarine.
Other studies found that a daily intake of one or two tablespoons of sterol-containing margarine could significantly lower LDL cholesterol.
It’s important to note that margarine itself can be very unhealthy and should be avoided.
Dr Anne Carol Goldberg who lead the study said of the findings: “One problem is many of our patients already have lowered their intake of fats and calories and don’t use products like margarine on a regular basis.
“In addition, many of these people eat out regularly and they can’t easily take a particular brand of margarine to a restaurant.”
A healthier option noted was when the plant compounds were combined with a substance known as lecithin and compresses into tablets.
When mixed with lecithin, the normally insoluble sterols were able to dissolve in water and were able to be absorbed in the intestine.
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