Check out these simple ways to lower your…. Angelica Pierce was diagnosed with high cholesterol at 15 and tried for years to unsuccessfully manage it with diet and exercise alone.

Then, a…. Research shows promising effects of taking bergamot for cholesterol management. However, they are potential side effects to be aware of.

In an observational study, researchers report that statins may help slow cognitive decline in some people with Alzheimer's disease. New research has found that statins may reduce the risk of mortality among women with breast cancer.

Some evidence suggests statins may interrupt…. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.

Skin Care. Medically reviewed by Grant Tinsley, Ph. Niacin Soluble fiber Psyllium Phytosterols Soy Garlic Red yeast rice Ginger Flaxseed Takeaway. Lowering cholesterol. Soluble fiber. Psyllium supplements. Soy protein. Red yeast rice.

The takeaway. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Mar 14, Written By Elea Carey.

Sep 20, Medically Reviewed By Grant Tinsley, Ph. Share this article. A person can spread this activity throughout the week. People new to exercise may want to start with lower-intensity activities and gradually build the intensity of their workouts.

Additionally, individuals with chronic conditions or disabilities should consult a doctor to determine what type of physical activity and how much is right for them. Learn more about exercises to lower cholesterol here.

Getting enough good-quality sleep is important for health. How much sleep a person requires changes with age, and research suggests that most adults should aim for 7 or more hours of sleep per night. Other evidence indicates that there is an association between short sleep duration or poor sleep quality with higher cholesterol levels.

However, researchers are still trying to understand how sleep affects cholesterol. Some research suggests that HDL levels are lower in people with insufficient sleep. Whereas other research indicates that too little or too much sleep can result in low HDL levels.

Overall, poor sleep duration and quality appear to negatively impact cholesterol, but it is not clear exactly why or how it does. Therefore, it may be beneficial for general health and cholesterol management for a person to develop good sleep hygiene practices.

Learn more about sleep apnea and high cholesterol here. Smoking can lead to high cholesterol levels as it can reduce the circulating level of HDL. Additionally, the chemicals present in cigarette smoke can cause LDL to become stickier and also damage the lining of blood vessels, making them swollen and inflamed.

As such, smoking can make it difficult to control cholesterol levels and increases the risk of a potential clog in the arteries. By quitting smoking, a person can lower their LDL and increase their HDL cholesterol levels.

This can help to slow the buildup of new fatty deposits in arteries and support overall health. Learn more about quitting smoking here. Regularly drinking water and getting sufficient amounts is extremely important for good health and essential for good liver health. The liver plays a key role in managing cholesterol levels as it helps to break down cholesterol.

If the liver is not able to function correctly then it may cause cholesterol to build up in the body. A study investigating the role of hydration for metabolic health in older adults found that hydration was associated with higher HDL cholesterol concentrations.

This suggests that in addition to being a healthy beverage option, drinking water may help to control cholesterol levels. Learn more about drinks that may help lower cholesterol here.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is present in every cell in the body. Although having too much cholesterol can increase the risk of adverse health effects, the body needs cholesterol to build cell membranes and to produce :.

The liver naturally produces all of the cholesterol that the body needs. However, certain foods contain cholesterol, and other foods can trigger the liver to produce more of it. HDL cholesterol collects LDL cholesterol and other fats from the arteries and transports them back to the liver. The liver disposes of excess cholesterol by converting it into a digestive fluid called bile.

Although people should aim to have more HDL cholesterol than LDL cholesterol, experts recommend that adults keep their blood levels of total cholesterol below milligrams per deciliter. Learn more about cholesterol levels by age here. Cholesterol supports many essential bodily functions, such as cell membrane formation and hormone production.

People can naturally lower their cholesterol levels by adopting dietary and lifestyle changes. This can include changing the types of fats they eat, consuming soluble fiber, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, maintaining healthy body weight, limiting alcohol intake, and getting enough good-quality sleep.

In this article, we look at a variety of lifestyle changes and natural supplements that help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart…. People with high cholesterol levels may benefit from adopting a low fat diet. Reducing the intake of saturated and trans fats can decrease bad….

If a person has high cholesterol, following a diet low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and processed foods may help reduce levels.

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Fish oil. Green tea. Rosenson RS. Low density lipoprotein cholesterol lowering with drugs other than statins and PCSK9 inhibitors. Plant sterols. Red yeast rice. Products and Services A Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition Nutritional Supplements at Mayo Clinic Store Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital Edition.

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Polyunsaturated fats include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Both omega-3 and omega-6 are known as essential fatty acids. Essential refers to the fact that the body cannot produce these oils, and a person can only get them directly from food sources.

Evidence notes that consuming these fats instead of saturated fat can have a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol levels by reducing LDL cholesterol without affecting HDL cholesterol. Dietary sources of polyunsaturated fats include :.

Eating foods high in fiber can be beneficial for blood cholesterol levels. There are two kinds of dietary fiber — soluble and insoluble. This gel helps to support digestive health and also aids in trapping fats, meaning the body cannot absorb them.

As such, soluble fiber can help to lower levels of LDL cholesterol. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration FDA , most Americans do not consume the recommended amount of dietary fiber.

The recommended amount is around 28 grams a day based on a 2,calorie daily diet. However, it is worth noting that consuming too much soluble fiber may lead to constipation , bloating , and stomach pain. People should try to increase their soluble fiber intake gradually over time. This includes helping to lower bad cholesterol levels and raising good cholesterol levels.

For example, the results of a study involving older adults demonstrated that moderate and vigorous physical activity lowered blood pressure and blood sugar levels and increased HDL cholesterol levels. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults do at least — minutes of moderate-intensity or 75— minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity a week for substantial health benefits.

A person can spread this activity throughout the week. People new to exercise may want to start with lower-intensity activities and gradually build the intensity of their workouts. Additionally, individuals with chronic conditions or disabilities should consult a doctor to determine what type of physical activity and how much is right for them.

Learn more about exercises to lower cholesterol here. Getting enough good-quality sleep is important for health. How much sleep a person requires changes with age, and research suggests that most adults should aim for 7 or more hours of sleep per night. Other evidence indicates that there is an association between short sleep duration or poor sleep quality with higher cholesterol levels.

However, researchers are still trying to understand how sleep affects cholesterol. Some research suggests that HDL levels are lower in people with insufficient sleep.

Whereas other research indicates that too little or too much sleep can result in low HDL levels. Overall, poor sleep duration and quality appear to negatively impact cholesterol, but it is not clear exactly why or how it does.

Therefore, it may be beneficial for general health and cholesterol management for a person to develop good sleep hygiene practices. Learn more about sleep apnea and high cholesterol here. Smoking can lead to high cholesterol levels as it can reduce the circulating level of HDL.

Additionally, the chemicals present in cigarette smoke can cause LDL to become stickier and also damage the lining of blood vessels, making them swollen and inflamed. As such, smoking can make it difficult to control cholesterol levels and increases the risk of a potential clog in the arteries.

By quitting smoking, a person can lower their LDL and increase their HDL cholesterol levels. This can help to slow the buildup of new fatty deposits in arteries and support overall health.

Learn more about quitting smoking here. Regularly drinking water and getting sufficient amounts is extremely important for good health and essential for good liver health. The liver plays a key role in managing cholesterol levels as it helps to break down cholesterol.

If the liver is not able to function correctly then it may cause cholesterol to build up in the body. A study investigating the role of hydration for metabolic health in older adults found that hydration was associated with higher HDL cholesterol concentrations.

This suggests that in addition to being a healthy beverage option, drinking water may help to control cholesterol levels.

Learn more about drinks that may help lower cholesterol here. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is present in every cell in the body. Although having too much cholesterol can increase the risk of adverse health effects, the body needs cholesterol to build cell membranes and to produce :.

The liver naturally produces all of the cholesterol that the body needs. However, certain foods contain cholesterol, and other foods can trigger the liver to produce more of it. HDL cholesterol collects LDL cholesterol and other fats from the arteries and transports them back to the liver.

The liver disposes of excess cholesterol by converting it into a digestive fluid called bile. Although people should aim to have more HDL cholesterol than LDL cholesterol, experts recommend that adults keep their blood levels of total cholesterol below milligrams per deciliter. Learn more about cholesterol levels by age here.

Cholesterol supports many essential bodily functions, such as cell membrane formation and hormone production. People can naturally lower their cholesterol levels by adopting dietary and lifestyle changes. This can include changing the types of fats they eat, consuming soluble fiber, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, maintaining healthy body weight, limiting alcohol intake, and getting enough good-quality sleep.

In this article, we look at a variety of lifestyle changes and natural supplements that help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart…. People with high cholesterol levels may benefit from adopting a low fat diet.

Reducing the intake of saturated and trans fats can decrease bad…. If a person has high cholesterol, following a diet low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and processed foods may help reduce levels.

Learn more. The "good" type of cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol. Learn why it is beneficial and how to increase HDL levels. My podcast changed me Can 'biological race' explain disparities in health?

Consume fresh amla or drink a glass of lukewarm water with 1 teaspoon of dried amla everyday. Apple cider vinegar acts as a effective remedy for reducing the levels of bad cholesterol in your body.

Add a tbsp of apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water. Mix well. Drink this solution daily for best results. A weekly guide to the biggest developments in health, medicine and wellbeing delivered to your inbox.

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How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Astragalus Hawthorn Flaxseed Fish Red yeast rice Plant supplements Garlic Pros and cons Diet and lifestyle Medications Takeaway Natural remedies for heart disease help control cholesterol and lower blood pressure, but the evidence is scarce.

Flax seed. Fish oil supplements with omega-3 fatty acids. Red yeast rice. Plant sterol and stanol supplements. Pros and cons of natural remedies. Pros of natural remedies Most natural remedies can be accessed without a prescription.

Some people find natural remedies helpful when used with their standard treatment plan. Most natural remedies are unregulated, which means that some side effects may be unknown.

Was this helpful? Diet and lifestyle changes. Medications for high cholesterol. The takeaway. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references.

You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Mar 8, Medically Reviewed By Debra Rose Wilson, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT. Jan 29, Written By The Healthline Editorial Team.

Share this article. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Grant Tinsley, Ph. The Latest Guidelines on Statins for High Cholesterol. Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph.

She Was Diagnosed with High Cholesterol at At 20, She Found a Treatment That Works Angelica Pierce was diagnosed with high cholesterol at 15 and tried for years to unsuccessfully manage it with diet and exercise alone. Then, a… READ MORE.

Can Bergamot Lower Cholesterol? READ MORE. Statins May Help Slow Cognitive Decline in People with Alzheimer's In an observational study, researchers report that statins may help slow cognitive decline in some people with Alzheimer's disease READ MORE. Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R.

Statins Can Help Women With Breast Cancer, Study Finds New research has found that statins may reduce the risk of mortality among women with breast cancer.

Some evidence suggests statins may interrupt… READ MORE. The recommended cholesterol levels are:. You can also inherit a tendency for high cholesterol. Your liver makes cholesterol.

You can also get it from certain foods that contain it — but not as much as from foods that contain saturated and trans fats. These types of fat cause your liver to produce extra cholesterol. Niacin is a B vitamin. Doctors sometimes suggest it for patients with high cholesterol or heart concerns.

It increases the level of good cholesterol and reduces triglycerides , another fat that can clog arteries. You can get niacin from foods, especially liver and chicken, or from supplements.

The recommended daily intake of niacin is 14 milligrams for women and 16 milligrams for men. Doing so can cause side effects like skin itching and flushing, nausea, and more. There are two kinds of fiber : soluble, which dissolves into a gel in liquid, and insoluble.

Soluble fiber lowers cholesterol absorption in your bloodstream. Psyllium is fiber made from the husks of seeds of the Plantago ovata plant. You can take it in a pill or mix it into drinks or food. Taking psyllium regularly has been shown to significantly reduce cholesterol levels.

It also relieves constipation and can lower blood sugar for people with diabetes. Phytosterols are waxes derived from plants. They prevent your intestines from absorbing cholesterol. Food manufacturers have begun adding phytosterols to prepared foods, such as margarine and yogurt.

Tofu, soy milk, and steamed soy beans are a good source of lean protein, which means eating them instead of a fatty food like beef can reduce the overall cholesterol in your diet. The cholesterol-lowering effect of garlic is unclear. Garlic is thought to have other health benefits , though, including lowering blood pressure.

You can get the benefits from food or from a supplement. Red yeast rice is white rice that has been fermented with yeast. Some red yeast rice supplements have been shown to lower cholesterol, because they contain monacolin K.

This has the same chemical makeup as lovastatin , a cholesterol-lowering medicine.