How to Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

Are you trying to lower your cholesterol? Here's a simple, inexpensive food that can be of help.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Are you looking for natural ways to lower your cholesterol level without medications? While diet alone isn’t always enough to get your cholesterol into the desired range if you have an extremely high reading, dietary choices can have a significant impact. One option is to eat more fiber rich foods. Studies have shown that adding more fiber and whole grains to your diet can help lower cholesterol levels as well as reduce your risk of heart disease.

2. According to a new study published in the Annals of Family Medicine, eating raw or cooked barley can help to lower cholesterol levels. In this particular meta-analysis ( a study that analyzes a variety of studies), it was shown that eating barley reduced both total cholesterol and LDL, the form of cholesterol associated with an increased risk of heart disease. In fact, cholesterol levels were reduced by an average of thirteen points and LDL by ten points. Although this may not seem like a lot, research has shown that the risk of heart disease declines by about one percent for each one point drop in LDL cholesterol.

3. Why might raw and cooked barley lower cholesterol levels? Barley is a good source of soluble fiber, similar to the fiber found in oatmeal and psyllium which have been found to lower cholesterol levels in previous studies. It’s also a good source of components known as beta glucans, a type of polysaccharide found in the bran of cereal grains. Beta glucans have been shown to have a variety of positive health properties including the ability to lower cholesterol levels. It seems to do this by decreasing the absorption of cholesterol as well as by increasing the synthesis of bile acids to help remove the cholesterol before it enters the blood stream. Oats and oatmeal are another good source of beta glucan as are mushrooms.

4. How much beta glucan is enough to lower cholesterol levels? The FDA has recommended that Americans get at least three grams of beta glucan containing soluble fiber from sources such as raw or cooked barley and oats to reduce the risk of heart disease. It appears that higher doses can have even greater benefits on cholesterol levels and heart disease risk. Unfortunately, consuming too much soluble fiber too quickly can sometimes lead to bloating and flatulence.

5. The bottom line? Adding raw or cooked barley to your diet can help to lower your cholesterol if used consistently. If you’re not familiar with barley, spend some time exploring various recipes using barley on the internet. You may discover you enjoy the taste of this grain with a slightly nutty flavor. A simple way to add more cooked barley to your diet is to use it as a substitute for rice or in place of oatmeal as your morning cereal. It’s also a nice side dish or as an addition to soups. You’ll feel good knowing you’re doing something good for your body and your cholesterol.

Resources

• Lower Your Cholesterol Without a Prescription

[goodselfme]

on 3/14/2009 I love Barley, so will work with that as stated to lower cholesterol with that easy way in my diet. Tx