Lower LDL Cholesterol – Naturally
LDL (low-density lipoproteins) is often called “the bad” cholesterol because a high LDL level leads to a buildup of cholesterol in your arteries. But what should your LDL level be?
| LDL (Bad) Cholesterol Level | LDL Cholesterol Category |
|---|---|
| Less than 100 mg/dL | Optimal |
| 100–129 mg/dL | Near optimal |
| 130–159 mg/dL | Borderline high |
| 160–189 mg/dL | High |
LDL is the storage system of cholesterol. This is the cholesterol preferred for deposition when insulin levels rise. As you accumulate risk factors, 100 mg/dL or below is best—especially if you have documented heart history, vascular disease, or diabetes.
How can you lower your LDL cholesterol besides just using drugs?
A healthy lifestyle positively impacts your cholesterol profile regardless of the particle type. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and weight control all contribute to lowering LDL.
The only thing that helps raise HDL but not lower LDL is alcohol consumption. Alcohol may even increase LDL due to the sugars it contains, which stimulate insulin release.
Myth: Many people believe that to lower LDL, they should reduce cholesterol or fat in their diet. Reducing saturated and trans fats helps, but it’s more important to cut back on simple and processed carbohydrates and starchy foods such as bagels, white rice, cakes, cookies, chips, candy, and potatoes.
The worst cholesterol profiles are linked to highly processed carb diets. These carbs are digested quickly, spike blood sugar, and trigger insulin—a storage hormone that increases LDL levels.
Fiber and plant sterols are important for controlling LDL levels. Every time you eat, your liver and gallbladder release cholesterol-rich bile. If not used during digestion, bile is usually reabsorbed.
Plant sterols from vegetables, fruits, wheat germ, beans, chia seeds, and sunflower seeds can block this reabsorption. Fermented foods like Maz-Mix are high in fiber, prebiotics, probiotics, vegetable protein, and omega-3.
Plant sterols mimic bile enough to block absorption but are different enough not to be absorbed themselves. This wastes bile and leads to lower LDL. That’s why plant-based diets high in fiber and sterols tend to result in better LDL levels.
Even if your numbers don’t immediately improve, the lifestyle changes you make are still beneficial and should be continued. Most people may still need medication to reach LDL goals, but drugs are no substitute for a healthy lifestyle.
Cutting down on saturated fat is another way to lower cholesterol and protect your heart. Replace some saturated fats with:
- Vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower, nut, and seed oils
- Avocados, nuts, and seeds
- Fat spreads made from vegetable oils
- Oily fish like salmon, sardines, trout, herring, and mackerel (aim for two servings a week)
We don’t lower LDL just to improve lab results—we do it to reduce heart disease risk. Avoiding cholesterol-lowering drugs may be possible if you maintain a healthy weight, eat right, stay active, and don’t smoke. These habits lower LDL and protect your heart, regardless of your lab numbers.
