To reduce cholesterol:
First cut down on saturated fats. To do this:
Eat lean meat. Select lean cuts and ask your butcher to cut off the fat.
Drink skim milk instead of whole milk.
Do the same for all dairy products. Note that vegetarians have a much lower cholesterol level (almost twice as low as average) which is perfectly understandable, since cholesterol is only found in products derived from animals.
Alcohol – in moderation. Not more than two glasses a day.
However, it does appear that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol raises the number of HDL lipids (the good ones!), which break down cholesterol.
(Moderation = two 4 oz. glasses of wine or two 12 oz. beers.)
Do regular exercise, for example walking.
Take Vitamin E. It reduces the risk of coronary disease.
Calcium brewer’s yeast, Vitamin C and Vitamin B-6 also combat the accumulation of cholesterol. And don’t forget lecithin, which helps fight excess cholesterol, arteriosclerosis, hypertension and angina (as well as psoriasis, anxiety and diabetes – and reduces the likelihood of contracting cancer). Losing weight is a good way to raise your HDL level.
Use poly-unsaturated, non-hydrogenated, cold pressed oil: corn oil, sunflower seed oil, soy, flax etc. A monounsaturated oil like olive oil can even raise your HDL level.
Daily consumption of fish would be ideal for preventing cardio-vascular problems, as demonstrated conclusively in a number of studies on fish-eating populations (Eskimos for example). Ideally, you would eat fish twice a day. And as strange as this sounds, you should select the fattest kinds: mackerel, sardines, herring, salmon etc.
As for the oil in the fish, it is used to treat arterial disorders. Its effects can be felt in about six weeks. Fish oil contains two polyunsaturated fatty acids which are very beneficial for the arteries.