How to Lower Cholesterol With Alternative Medicine

People with high cholesterol are at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. Prescription medications are very effective to lower cholesterol levels when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Those who do not want to use medicine to lower cholesterol levels may turn to natural or alternative medicine as a solution. Yoga, acupuncture and herbal supplements are all alternative methods that may help lower cholesterol.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Fiber-rich diet
• Hawthorn berry supplements
• Astragalus supplements
• Garlic cloves or supplements
• Yoga class or instructional videos
• Licensed acupuncturist

1. Incorporate fiber-rich foods into your diet to help lower cholesterol levels. Foods such as oatmeal, fruits, leafy green vegetables, beans and lentils all contain high levels of fiber, which assists in lowering the "bad" cholesterol in your blood called LDL. Add ground flaxseeds and flaxseed oil to your morning cereal or yogurt as an added boost.
2. Use Chinese herbal therapy as an alternative way to lower cholesterol. Shan Zha, also called Hawthorn berry and Astragalus are herbs that realign the body's energy (called qi) and can be beneficial to cholesterol and cardiovascular health. Both of these herbs and many more vitamin and mineral supplements can be found at health stores such as GNC (see Resources below).
3. Spice up your cooking with garlic. An increase of garlic in the diet may have a positive effect on cholesterol in some people. If you do not like the flavor of garlic, you can buy a garlic pill supplement at health food or drug stores.
4. Practice alternative medicine in the form of yoga, meditation or other relaxation techniques. The reduced tension in your body and mind may be an effective method for lowering cholesterol. Use the Yoga Directory online to locate yoga classes in your area or to order instructional videos for use at home (see Resources below).
5. Make an appointment for an acupuncture session to see if it can help you lower your cholesterol. Acupuncture uses very thin needles to stimulate areas of the body to adjust your qi when you experience pain or other illness. Search Acufinder.com, an online acupuncturist locater service, to find licensed professionals near your home (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Never try to self-treat high cholesterol with alternative medicine without consulting your doctor. Herbal remedies are not for everyone and may interact with other supplements or medications you may be taking. In cases of dangerously high blood cholesterol levels, prescription medication may be the safest and most effective way to lower cholesterol.