Being health conscious is important in this day and age. With so many products being detrimental to one’s health and the rates of chronic illnesses going up every year it is no surprise that we are all looking for small but meaningful ways to improve our health and reduce things that can compromise it, like high cholesterol.
The numbers do not lie and are quite scary, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “nearly 94 million American adults aged 20 or over have what they describe as “borderline” high cholesterol”. These numbers are quite worrisome, as high cholesterol used to be a disease that impacted older people whose metabolism just did not work as well, not young fit people. The prevalence of this disease has now transformed it from one of the rarest conditions to one of the most common health conditions in the United States.
While the usual preventative measures still work, like exercising regularly, getting enough sleep and reducing stress, it is clear that they have become insufficient when faced with the lifestyle most of us currently lead. And while these still work to lower your cholesterol, you might want to focus primarily on eating habits, as these are what is making cholesterol rise at unprecedented levels and thus what could make it go down in he list of common diseases the fastest.
What you should eat in order to keep cholesterol levels down
A balanced diet is always a good approach, especially one that is low on saturated and trans fats, which negatively contribute to cholesterol levels and overall health, but this is not enough. Incorporating leafy greens and healthy fats like avocado, oily fish and nuts can also help, but there is one cooking ingredient that is often overlooked that can also make a very positive impact on our health, and that is garlic.
Few people will be surprised to find that garlic has many good qualities that help our health be better, for years now we have known that it is an antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal and possesses antimicrobial qualities. Additionally, research has shown that it can be a very positive contributor when it comes to lowering blood pressure, correcting anemia, acting as an anticoagulant, boosting the immune system, reducing blood sugar levels and it has even been credited with playing a key role in fighting cancer.
While garlic having all these benefits can sound a bit surprising to those who are not used to consuming it, we must not forget that before modern medicine managed to synthesize enzymes and transform them into medicine, people had to rely on natural remedies and that most times they actually worked to improve health, which is why they stood the test of time.
Garlic is no exception, and many studies, including one conducted by researchers at the Institute of Toxicology at Shandong University in China, have proven its efficacy in treating multiple illnesses. This particular study specifically concluded garlic was considerably more effective than a placebo in reducing total serum cholesterol (TC), the overall amount of cholesterol in the bloodstream and triglycerides (TG), a type of fat found in blood.
Not all forms of garlic consumption were as effective, garlic powder and aged garlic extract were more effective in reducing serum TC levels, while garlic oil was more effective in reducing serum TG levels, but still, the results do not lie, it was helpful to consume it.
Being more effective than a placebo may be a low bar to clear, but considering all the other proven benefits of garlic, giving it a chance as a helpful hand in fighting high cholesterol is still a good idea, and it has the added benefit of being a delicious condiment.