5 Plant-Based Ingredients That Can Help You Lower Cholesterol Naturally
October is Vegetarian Awareness Month. This is the perfect time to incorporate more plant-based food into your diet, which may help you maintain a healthy cholesterol level.
Let’s talk about cholesterol first. Your body uses cholesterol to build cell walls and produce hormones. It’s a necessary, naturally occurring substance that can also be found in some foods you eat. However, too much cholesterol can be either good or bad, depending on which one you’re talking about. LDL cholesterol is the bad kind that causes blockage in the arteries, potentially leading to heart attacks and stroke. HDL cholesterol is the good kind that helps remove excess cholesterol from your arteries and keeps your body functioning smoothly.
Eating a diet of processed sugar and carbohydrates will increase your LDL cholesterol levels, therefore increasing your risk of health problems. To combat this, diets rich in whole foods, like fruits and vegetables, along with regular exercise, are recommended for optimal health. Additionally, some natural ingredients and vitamins have been shown to help reduce bad cholesterol. Read on to learn five plant-based ingredients that lower cholesterol naturally.
1. Folic Acid. Folic acid is a B vitamin found in leafy greens, broccoli, liver, and chickpeas. Low levels of folic acid in the blood have been attributed to plaque build-up in the arteries. Folic acid has been shown to increase HDL cholesterol while also lowering LDL cholesterol.
2. Vitamin D. The body absorbs vitamin D through the sun. It can also be obtained through diet. Excluding fortified foods, mushrooms are the only good plant source of vitamin D. Mushrooms can synthesize this vitamin when exposed to UV light. Vitamin D’s purpose is to help the body absorb calcium, but it also serves many other purposes, such as boosting your immune system and improving your cardiovascular function. A new study report that Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with lower levels of HDL-cholesterol and a higher ratio of total cholesterol to HDL.
3. Resveratrol. Resveratrol is a plant compound most commonly associated with red wine. While it is indeed found in red wine, it also occurs naturally in peanuts, berries, and grapes. Resveratrol has been shown to lower bad cholesterol by reducing the level of LDL production.
4. Rice Bran. Bran refers to the outer layer, or shell, of a plant grain. Rice bran, in particular, is popular in many Asian countries for help in treating diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Rice bran oil contains substances that might decrease cholesterol absorption and increase cholesterol elimination.
5. Vitamin E. Vitamin E plays an essential part in acting as an antioxidant to protect your cells from damage. It’s found in leafy greens, nuts, seeds, as well as fortified cereals, and margarine. Vitamin E may also help lower your cholesterol as it contains chemicals that slow plaque build-up in your arteries.
While a healthy, balanced diet is the best way to lower your cholesterol naturally, it’s not always realistic or easy to implement. Sometimes we need help with supplements to be sure we are getting the necessary vitamins and minerals. Cardio Advance by Qgenics is a 100% plant-based powder supplement that contains all the above and more essential ingredients that help lower cholesterol and cardiovascular health. In addition, the easy consumption powder formula contains proprietary Cellinfusion™ Technology that allows 3.4 times faster absorption into the body.
In summary, the effects of high cholesterol can have life-threatening consequences on our health. Cardio Advance is an ideal plant-based supplement as an addition to your diet for those concerned with their cholesterol level as well as overall health. You can order it on the Qgenics website as well as on Amazon.com.