When you hear the word “cholesterol,” it probably sends a shock of dread through your body, because although you might not know exactly what cholesterol is or why it’s harmful, you’ve heard enough stories about friends and family who experienced health complications due to high cholesterol levels. It’s true that having high cholesterol puts you or your loved ones in a dangerous place. And while there is a lot you can learn about cholesterol, including methods for how to help regulate or lower your levels, there are generally no symptoms to watch for within enough of a timeframe to make a change before you’re at risk of a severe emergency. The best and only way to know your cholesterol levels is to get a blood test taken.
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Why Is High Cholesterol Dangerous?
Unfortunately, heart problems are effects of high cholesterol levels, because low- and very low-density lipoproteins (LDL and VLDL cholesterol, respectively, the “bad” kinds) lead to the spread of plaque in the arteries. Understandably, this damage to the circulatory system can lead to strokes and heart attacks.
As mentioned, your personal cholesterol levels can be a bit of a mystery until you get them checked, but once you know where you stand, it’s time to start making changes to your health to regulate your cholesterol—regardless of whether your results show high, low, or healthy levels. Did you know that once you reach age 45 your risk of cholesterol-stemming issues increases significantly? Doctors recommend committing to your cholesterol health in your 30s as a preventative measure, but start checking levels much earlier; generally, checks begin around age nine and are reassessed every five years.
But there are more risks beside your age; women over menopause are at greater risk of cholesterol health issues, as are smokers, the obese, those with high blood pressure, and those who follow unhealthy diet and lifestyle patterns.
It’s never too soon to start caring about cholesterol (yours or someone you love’s) and you’re never being too cautious in your care. Fortunately, with the right preventative measures, you can help lower and regulate your “bad” cholesterol levels.
What Options Are There for Lowering Cholesterol?
Just as diet plays a large role in high cholesterol levels, it’s also a key treatment method. For regulating or lowering your cholesterol, you want to follow a diet of soluble fibers, natural ingredients like fruits and vegetables, long chain omega-3 fatty acids, and avoid fats from animal products (found in meat, dairy, eggs, etc.) and in processed and fried foods (like trans fats and saturated fats).
Along with taking a hard look at your diet, you should take supplements to lower cholesterol. Because it’s never too early to start caring about your cholesterol, whether you’re in a critical place cholesterol-wise or intent on preventing high cholesterol, supplements are a wise choice for your long-term health.
What To Look For in a Cholesterol Supplement
As addressed above, there are certain ingredients you need to avoid when caring for your body and keeping low levels of LDL and VLDL cholesterol. Similarly, there are ingredients you want to incorporate into your diet in higher doses, as they are proven to help. A good cholesterol-lowering supplement provides these ingredients in an all-natural way, so that you’re feeding your body healthy, nutrient dense ingredients proven to help cholesterol, and none of the bad stuff. Here are some details you want to look for in your cholesterol supplement:
Omega-3s
Omega-3s are fatty acids that deliver incredible health benefits spread throughout your body. They are also proven to help regulate and lower high levels of bad cholesterol. You can find omega-3s in fish and other seafood, which is why people often take fish oil.
No Unnecessary Additives
In order to lower your cholesterol, you need to avoid any extra amounts of certain foods, like dairy, animal products, sugar, and wheat. The last thing you need is to see these ingredients showing up in your cholesterol supplements. Additionally, these ingredients are common allergens that people are sensitive to. Make sure your supplement includes nothing unnecessary.
Locally Sourced Natural Ingredients
Supplement brands that use locally sourced, all-natural ingredients show their commitment to their customers’ health and the planet. The best supplement brands use natural ingredients that are farmed or acquired sustainably.
Which Supplement Brand Is the Best?
Now you know what to look for in a cholesterol supplement; fortunately, we’ve found a supplement brand that meets these levels of quality and is proven to lower cholesterol levels. The brand in question and the one we recommend as the best at lowering cholesterol while also keeping you your healthiest is iwi.
Iwi has an all-natural cholesterol lowering supplement that utilizes the power of its sustainably grown algae, sourced from the company’s renewable energy farms. Using Nannochloropsis microalgae, iwi created its powerful Almega®PL omega-3 that absorbs into the body 50 percent better than regular fish or krill oil. Additionally, no additives are included in iwi’s products.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a cholesterol lowering supplement. Because of everything iwi stands for and represents in its products, and the proven results of its supplement’s power to lower cholesterol, we conclude that iwi’s supplement is the best.
Tiffany is a Medical Student and also works as a fitness coach in part-time. She is also a writer and writes on health and fitness articles. Tiffany loves to engage with users and help them provide various useful information on General Health. She provides researched-based information and also featured on various blogs and magazines.