Pills to reduce cholesterol in the blood. Other pills for high cholesterol in the blood. The best remedy for cleansing blood vessels from cholesterol is sunflower

Many of us have heard that cholesterol unhealthy. For a long time doctors, nutritionists, and also pharmaceutical giants convinced people around the world that the level is the most important indicator their state of health.

In some countries, for example, in the USA, mass hysteria about this "deadly dangerous" substance has reached unprecedented proportions. People firmly believed that the main cause of their diseases (, heart problems, etc.) is "bad" cholesterol.

Health food stores began to open everywhere, where cholesterol-lowering products were sold at completely non-budget prices. Cholesterol-free became especially popular, which even stars of the first magnitude adhered to.

In general, paranoia about cholesterol has done its job. Drug manufacturers, food manufacturers, and nutritionists have made even more money out of everyone's fear. And what benefit did you get from all this hype ordinary people? How sad it is to realize, but not everyone knows what cholesterol is. , and whether it is necessary to do something specifically to reduce its level.

What is cholesterol and how to deal with it?

We think that each of us at least once wondered how to get rid of cholesterol in. Before we talk about the dangers of cholesterol for the human body, let's look at the basic concepts.

So, cholesterol or cholesterol (chemical formula- C 27 H 46O) is a natural lipophilic (fatty) alcohol, i.e. organic compound present in the cells of living organisms.

This substance does not dissolve in water, like other fats. In human blood, cholesterol is contained in the form of complex compounds (including transporter proteins or apolipoproteins ), so-called lipoproteins .

There are several main groups of transporter proteins that deliver cholesterol to various organs and tissues:

• macromolecular (abbreviated as HDL or HDL) are high-density lipoproteins, which are a class of lipoproteins, often referred to as "good" cholesterol;
• low molecular weight (abbreviated as LDL or LDL) - these are low-density lipoproteins, they are also a class of blood plasma and belong to the so-called "bad" cholesterol;
• very low molecular weight (abbreviated as VLDL or VLDL) is a subclass of very low density lipoproteins;
• chylomicron - this is a class of lipoproteins (i.e. proteins) that are produced by the intestines as a result of the processing of exogenous lipids (a group of organic fats), differ in their significant size (diameter from 75 to 1.2 microns).

Approximately 80% of the cholesterol contained in human blood is produced by the gonads, liver, adrenal glands, intestines, and kidneys, and only 20% enters the body with food.

Cholesterol plays an important role in the life cycle of living organisms. This organic compound is involved in the process of production of essential substances by the adrenal glands. steroid hormones (, progesterone, and so on), as well as bile acids .

The normal functioning of the human immune and nervous system is impossible without cholesterol. Thanks to this substance, the body synthesizes, which is of decisive importance for calcium-phosphorus metabolism.

How to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood?

It is reliably known that cholesterol can harm the human body due to the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels. As a result of this negative impact increases the risk of thrombus formation, which in turn leads to the risk of developing , and the onset of a sudden coronary death .

Speaking about the dangers to human health, experts refer to studies that found that in countries where high levels of cholesterol in the blood of the population were recorded, cardiovascular diseases are widespread.

Therefore, do not rush and think about how to lower cholesterol as a matter of urgency. He's not the only one "guilty".

In addition, the body does not produce anything superfluous and harmful to itself. In fact, cholesterol is a kind of defense mechanism. This substance is indispensable for the cells and walls of blood vessels, which cholesterol “repairs” in case of wear or damage.

Low cholesterol makes blood vessels as vulnerable as high concentrations of this compound in human blood. Everything is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Therefore, talking about how to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood with drugs or a special diet is necessary only in case of real need.

In addition, only a doctor can conclude that the patient needs special therapy in order to reduce the cholesterol content in the body and avoid possible negative consequences for his health. However, do not lose vigilance, because cholesterol can really be dangerous.

Therefore, it is worth monitoring its level for all people after forty years of age, regardless of gender, and especially for those who are prone to cardiovascular diseases, suffer from or from excess weight . Blood cholesterol is measured in millimoles per liter (abbreviated as mmol/L*) or milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL*).

It is considered ideal when the level of "bad" cholesterol or LDL (low molecular weight lipoproteins) does not exceed 2.586 mmol / l for healthy people and 1.81 mmol / l for those suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Average and acceptable for doctors indicators cholesterol values ​​are considered in the range from 2.5 mmol/l to 6.6 mmol/l.

If the cholesterol index exceeded the level of 6.7, what to do in such a situation, and most importantly, how to avoid it. To prescribe treatment, doctors are guided by the following indicators:

• if the level of LDL in the blood reaches a value higher than 4.138 mg / dl, then the patient is advised to adhere to a special therapeutic diet to lower cholesterol values ​​to 3.362 mmol/l;
• if the level of LDL stubbornly keeps above 4.138 mg / dl, then in such situations, patients are prescribed drug treatment.

• *mmol(millimole, equal to 10-3 mol) is the SI unit of measurement for substances (short for International System of Measurement).
• *Liter(abbreviated l, equal to 1 dm3) is an off-system unit of measurement of capacity and volume.
• *Milligram(abbreviated as mg, equal to 103 g) is the SI unit of mass.
• *Deciliter(abbreviated dl, equal to 10-1 liter) - a unit of volume.

Source: Wikipedia

Cholesterol treatment

Causes high level blood cholesterol are:

• obesity ;
• prolonged smoking;
• overweight due to overeating;
• disruption of work liver , For example, bile stasis as a result of alcohol abuse;
• overabundance adrenal hormones ;
• malnutrition(Love for overly fatty foods containing harmful trans fats, for foods high in carbohydrates, such as sweets and carbonated drinks, as well as a lack of fiber in foods);
• flaw thyroid hormones ;
• sedentary lifestyle and low physical activity;
• flaw reproductive system hormones ;
• insulin hypersecretion ;
• kidney disease ;
• taking some medical preparations.

There are cases when the treatment of high cholesterol is prescribed for such a little common diagnosis as hereditary familial dyslipoproteinemia (deviations in the composition of lipoproteins). So how do you treat high cholesterol? It should be noted that a medical solution to this problem is not immediately resorted to and not in all cases.

There are not only medicinal ways to influence cholesterol in order to reduce its level. At the initial stage, you can cope with the problem without pills. Doctors say that there is no better cure than prevention. Lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

Try to walk more in the fresh air, watch your diet and do any sport that involves at least a small but regular physical activity.

With this lifestyle, you will not be afraid of any cholesterol.

If changes in lifestyle did not give positive results, then in this case, the doctor prescribes to the patient statins are drugs that lower cholesterol levels and prevent diseases such as stroke And heart attack .

In addition to statins, there are other drugs that reduce the content of "bad" cholesterol, which differ in their composition. It is important to note that both statins and other medicines designed to fight cholesterol have a number of contraindications and, as it turned out in the course of large-scale scientific studies, serious side effects.

Therefore, many people are wondering how to lower cholesterol levels without drugs. The first thing that comes to mind in this situation is to try the methods of treating cholesterol with folk remedies. Traditional medicine is an unconditional storehouse useful information, where you can find many answers to the question of what to do if high cholesterol levels threaten your normal well-being.

However, do not rush to treat “bad” cholesterol with folk remedies. Be prudent and first visit a doctor who will determine the cause of the ailment, as well as expertly explain how to lower blood cholesterol without pills.

Folk remedies to lower blood cholesterol

Let's talk about how to reduce cholesterol in the blood with folk remedies. It is possible to influence the level of cholesterol in the blood not only with the help of a special diet and medicines. In some cases, the fight against folk remedies with high cholesterol can be extremely effective.

The main thing is to avoid unwanted negative consequences (allergic reaction, deterioration) before starting self-treatment visit a doctor at home. There are many folk remedies for lowering cholesterol.

However, not all of them will really help to lower the level of this substance to normal levels. It's all about the different reactions of the human body to certain folk remedies for high cholesterol in the blood.

The same method may be effective for one person, but useless or even dangerous for another.

Therefore, doctors are extremely skeptical about self-treatment, even at first glance, with absolutely harmless and proven folk methods for centuries.

Still, it is better to be treated under the supervision of a doctor who will be able to adjust the therapy in time to achieve the best result.

So, how to lower cholesterol folk remedies. Treatment with folk remedies is primarily the use of all kinds of "gifts" of nature, for example, infusions and decoctions from medicinal herbs or healing vegetable oils.

The use of homeopathic remedies to lower cholesterol levels is allowed only in cases where you are sure that such treatment will not provoke the occurrence of serious complications, for example, persistent allergic reactions . Therefore, do not overdo it with self-medication, so as not to harm your health even more.

Proponents of traditional medicine argue that some medicinal herbs are also effective in the fight against cholesterol, like modern pharmacological preparations. To conclude the legitimacy of such statements, one can only experience the healing effects of homeopathic methods of treatment. So, how to get rid of "bad" cholesterol and how to clean the walls of arteries with herbs.

Perhaps it is this medicinal plant that can be considered the most effective in the fight against cholesterol . The rhizome of Dioscorea contains a large amount saponins , which, when combined with cholesterol and proteins in the human body, have a destructive effect on the generative protein-lipoid compounds.

You can make a tincture from the rhizome of the plant or take chopped Dioscorea root four times a day after meals with one teaspoon of honey, which, by the way, is on the list of products recommended for use with cholesterol problems. The effectiveness of this homeopathic remedy has been proven by scientific research.

Dioscorea Caucasian will help not only to thoroughly clean the vessels, but also significantly improve the condition with atherosclerosis , reduce pressure, normalize the work of the cardiovascular system, for example, when or tachycardia . In addition, the active components of the plant are used in the production of choleretic and hormonal preparations.

fragrant callisia

In the people, this plant is commonly called the Golden Mustache. Callisia is indoor plant which has long been used as a remedy for diseases , inflammatory processes prostate , as well as ailments associated with metabolism.

The sap of the plant contains kaempferol, And beta-sitosterol . These vegetable flavonoids on assurances traditional healers and provide beneficial effect on the human body. To lower cholesterol, an infusion made from the Golden Mustache is used.

To prepare the medicine, the leaves of the plant are taken, washed and cut into small pieces, and then poured with boiling water. The golden mustache is insisted for a day, and then they drink the infusion one tablespoon three times a day half an hour before meals. Keep the medicine container in a dark place. Such an infusion helps to fight not only cholesterol, but also high blood sugar.

The healing properties of this type of leguminous plants are officially recognized by medicine and are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for the manufacture of various kinds of medicines. Licorice roots contain many highly active compounds that will help normalize high cholesterol levels in the human body.

A decoction is made from the root of the plant in the following way. Two tablespoons of crushed dry licorice root are poured with two cups of boiling water, and then boiled over low heat for another ten minutes, while stirring constantly.

The resulting broth is filtered and insisted. Take this medicine four times a day after eating.

It is important to remember that it is advisable to use a decoction of licorice root for no more than three weeks in a row.

Styphnolobius or Japanese Sophora

The fruits of such a legume as sophora, in combination with white mistletoe, effectively fight high cholesterol levels. To prepare the infusion, you need to take one hundred grams of each of the herbal ingredients and pour one liter of vodka.

The resulting mixture is infused for three weeks in a dark place, and then consumed before meals three times a day, one teaspoonful. This tincture will help cure, improve blood circulation and normalize blood cholesterol levels.

Alfalfa

The juice from the leaves of this plant is used to cleanse the body of bad cholesterol. To return cholesterol levels to normal levels, two tablespoons of alfalfa juice should be taken three times a day for one month. This plant effectively fights against and, and also promotes the healing of nails and hair.

The fruits and flowers of this plant, as well as licorice root, were recognized by doctors as an effective drug in the fight against certain diseases.

Hawthorn inflorescences are used to prepare an infusion to lower cholesterol.

The flowers are poured with boiling water and infused for about twenty minutes.

Use an infusion based on hawthorn inflorescences should be at least four times a day, one tablespoon before meals.

Blue cyanosis

The dry rhizome of the plant is ground into powder, poured with water, and then boiled over low heat for about half an hour. The prepared broth is decanted and allowed to cool. You need to use such a drug four times a day before bedtime, and also after two hours after eating.

Also, such a decoction can be used in treatment. In addition, cyanosis normalizes blood pressure, helps to improve the functioning of the nervous system, improves sleep and effectively eliminates the effects of stress.

Linden

Another widely used medicinal plant at home. Linden blossoms help lower cholesterol. They make a powder, which is taken three times a day, one teaspoon for a month.

Dandelion

Gardeners and amateur gardeners call this plant a weed and fight it in every possible way. bright yellow flowers until they turned into a beautiful seed balloon. However, a plant such as dandelion is a real healing well. In folk medicine, dandelion inflorescences, leaves and rhizomes are used.

In the fight against cholesterol, dandelion rhizome is useful, which is dried and then ground into powder. In the future, it is taken thirty minutes before meals, washed down with plain water. As a rule, after the first six months of treatment, people notice a positive result.

Flax seeds are a really effective remedy that helps to remove excess cholesterol from the blood vessels of the body. Buy it homeopathic remedy available in many pharmacies. Flax seeds need to be added to food, for convenience they can be ground into powder using an ordinary coffee grinder.

Remember that this herbal remedy has a number of serious contraindications that you must be familiar with before starting self-treatment.

Flax seeds not only cleanse the vessels from cholesterol plaques , but also contribute to the strengthening of the cardiovascular system and normalize the work gastrointestinal tract.

Effective in normalizing cholesterol levels can also be infusions and decoctions prepared on the basis of jaundice, propolis, white cinquefoil, biennial aspen, milk thistle, psyllium seed, evening primrose, valerian root, and thistle.

You can list herbal remedies endlessly, so we stopped at the most popular and effective ways to influence cholesterol levels.

Foods to lower blood cholesterol

Let's talk in more detail about how to remove cholesterol from the body. Probably, many of us at least once thought about how to lower cholesterol at home without resorting to drugs. Of course, it is best to contact a doctor who will provide qualified assistance with this problem.

However, if you still decide to act independently, then before proceeding to action First you need to learn how to check your cholesterol level at home.

In order to find out how much cholesterol is contained in the patient's blood, doctors use the standard.

What can be used at home to measure cholesterol and obtain similar information? Fortunately, we live in a highly technological age, and are armed with ordinary people there are many previously exclusively medical devices, such as a kit for measuring cholesterol or blood sugar.

After all, there are such categories of people (sick or people with a severe form of cardiovascular disease) for whom it is vital to have such information. Since cholesterol is conditionally divided into "good" and "bad" specialized set for home use allows you to determine the level of both subspecies of biologically active compounds.

In some versions, the kit also includes a test strip for determining the level triglycerides in blood. The kit contains several test strips that act on the principle of litmus paper, i.e. change their original color when interacting with cholesterol.

Moreover, the shade of the test strip depends on the level of cholesterol in the blood. To carry out the analysis at home, you need to wash your hands, then with a special lancet, which is in the kit, pierce the fingertip and touch the test strip. A number will appear on the screen of the device, indicating the amount of cholesterol currently contained in the blood.

To successfully pass the analysis in the medical laboratory, the patient must follow a number of rules and recommendations that are also relevant for conducting research using a home kit. Since the concentration of cholesterol directly depends on many factors, before a home check, you should not smoke cigarettes, drink alcoholic beverages, even weak ones and in small quantities.

Oddly enough, even the position of the human body affects the accuracy of the analysis. It is believed that the most correct result can be obtained in a sitting position.

A person's diet is extremely important for checking cholesterol levels. What can you eat and what should you avoid before checking your blood for cholesterol?

Approximately three weeks before delivery biochemical analysis doctors advise patients to follow a simple diet, main feature which is that you need to eat dishes that contain the least amount of animal fats. Priority should be given to fruits, vegetables, dairy products and vegetable fats.

The emotional and psychological mood of a person before analysis is also important. stressful situations, as well as worries about your health, can affect the result of a cholesterol test. Therefore, before taking the test, doctors recommend not to be nervous and spend some time in peace, for example, you can sit down and think about something pleasant, in general, relax.

So, let's move on to answering questions about what reduces the level of a harmful compound in the blood and how to quickly lower cholesterol at home. If you are facing the above problems, then you should start following the recommendations below.

Go in for sports. Many cardiologists argue that regular physical activity not only strengthens the entire human body as a whole, but also contributes to the removal of cholesterol blocks accumulated in the arteries. Remember, it is not at all necessary to be a professional athlete, to maintain health, you can simply take long walks or do exercises every day in the fresh air, in general, move.

After all, as the ancients said: “Movement is life!”. Scientists have proven that people over the age of fifty who regularly take walks in the fresh air for at least forty minutes are less prone to cardiovascular diseases than their sedentary peers.

It is also helpful for the elderly to walk at a slow pace to prevent heart attack or stroke and cleanse the vessels of harmful cholesterol. However, it is worth remembering that when walking, the pulse of an elderly person should not deviate from the norm by more than 15 beats per minute.

Give up bad habits. You can call this advice universal for any ailment, because smoking or drinking in large quantities harms all people without exception. We think it makes little sense to talk about the harm that cigarettes cause to the body, everyone is already well aware of how nicotine kills human health.

Smoking increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis , one of the main causes of which is considered high cholesterol. As for alcohol, everything is not so simple, since there are a considerable number of adherents of the theory that a small amount of spirits (no more than fifty grams) or two hundred grams of dry red wine contribute to the normalization of cholesterol levels.

According to many respected doctors, alcohol , even in small quantities and good quality cannot be considered a drug this case. After all, many people are forbidden to drink alcohol, for example, the sick diabetes or hypertension. Such an "alcoholic" medicine can seriously harm, rather than cure, such people.

Eat right. This is another universal rule, because a person's health depends not only on his lifestyle, but also on what he eats. In fact, eating the right way to live a healthy and fulfilling life is not difficult at all. It just takes some effort, like learning how to cook. healthy meals rich in content of various important for good health connections.

Balanced diet is the guarantee of health. Doctors and nutritionists have been repeating this simple truth to their patients for decades. In the case of bad cholesterol, this statement takes on even more important meaning. Because thanks to proper diet You can get rid of problems associated with a substance such as cholesterol.

What foods contain cholesterol?

In order to control cholesterol levels, you need to follow a certain diet and avoid foods high in this biologically active compound. Remember that cholesterol is lipophilic fat , the level of which can be both increased and decreased regular products food consumed by humans.

Let us consider in more detail the content of cholesterol in foods and determine which of them increase the level of this substance in the blood.

As you can see, in the above table, there are no such types of products as vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts and seeds, as well as vegetable oils (olive, coconut, sesame, corn, sunflower). This is due to the fact that they contain a small amount of cholesterol. That is why these foods form the basis of a specialized diet that reduces blood cholesterol levels.

What foods raise cholesterol?

Many people mistakenly believe that cholesterol is always an absolute evil for the body. However, this is not entirely true, since there is "bad" (LDL, low density) and "good" (HDL, high density) cholesterol. A high level of one really causes significant harm to health, and a lack of the second leads to the development of no less serious diseases.

When the LDL content is high, the walls of the blood vessels clog fatty plaques . As a result, nutrients do not enter the human heart in the right amount, which leads to the development of severe cardiovascular pathologies . Often, the harmful effects of cholesterol lead to instant death of a person.

Thrombus , formed as a result of the accumulation of cholesterol plaques, is separated from the walls of the vessel and completely clogs it. This condition, as doctors say, is not compatible with life. "Good" cholesterol or HDL does not accumulate and does not clog blood vessels. The active compound, on the contrary, cleanses the body of harmful cholesterol, bringing it out of the cell membranes.

TOP 10 foods that increase cholesterol

To protect your body from the ailments caused by high cholesterol, you must first review your diet. Supplement it with meals containing beneficial compounds, and also eliminate or minimize the use of foods that contain an abundance of "bad" cholesterol. So where is the highest amount of cholesterol found?

What foods have a lot of cholesterol in the following table:

As follows from the above list of products that increase cholesterol, the largest amount of a compound harmful to the vessels of the human body is contained in:

• in fatty meats and offal;
• in chicken eggs;
• in high-fat fermented milk products such as cheese, milk, sour cream and butter;
• in some types of fish and seafood.

Foods that lower cholesterol

Let's talk about how to increase good and lower bad cholesterol. So, what foods lower cholesterol in the blood. Where to draw "good" cholesterol to maintain normal state health.

Vegetables, greens, herbs, fruits and berries

Vegetables and fruits are an extensive group of foods that lower blood cholesterol. We list the types of vegetables and fruits that are among the most effective products that removes excess cholesterol from the body.

Avocado is rich in content phytosterols (other name phytosterols are alcohols plant origin), namely beta sistosterol. By constantly eating avocado dishes, you can significantly reduce the level of harmful and increase the content of good cholesterol (HDL).

In addition to avocados, the following foods contain the most phytosterols, which help increase good cholesterol and reduce harmful:

• wheat germ;
• brown rice (bran);
• sesame seeds;
• pistachios;
• sunflower seeds;
• pumpkin seeds;
• flax seed;
• pine nuts;
• almond;
• olive oil.

Eating fresh berries(strawberries, chokeberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, lingonberries) also helps in normalizing cholesterol. These berries, like the fruits of some fruits, such as pomegranate and grapes, stimulate the production of "good" cholesterol, i.e. HDL. Daily use of juice or puree from fresh berries can achieve excellent results and increase "good" cholesterol in a few months.

Cranberry juice is considered especially effective, which also contains many antioxidants in its composition. These natural substances thoroughly cleanse the human body of accumulated harmful compounds and help restore health.

It should be noted that in principle juice therapy This is a really effective way to deal with high cholesterol levels. This simple drug-free treatment was discovered quite by accident by nutritionists, who initially used various types of juices to combat and obese.

Juice therapy is an effective way to combat high cholesterol

Experts have found that juice therapy normalizes the amount of fat in the blood plasma. As a result, excess cholesterol is excreted from the body.

It is noteworthy that at the same time the body is cleansed of accumulated toxins.

It is important to note that you can only drink freshly squeezed juice, for real healthy drink unlike store-bought options containing a large amount of sugar. The most effective are freshly squeezed juices from vegetables and fruits such as: celery, carrots, beets, cucumbers, apples, cabbage and orange.

Remember, you can not immediately after cooking eat freshly squeezed beetroot juice, it should settle for several hours. Nutritionists advise eating as many vegetables and fruits of red, purple or blue color as possible, since it is in their composition that the greatest amount of natural polyphenols .

Garlic is another food that is the most powerful statin natural origin, i.e. natural anti-cholesterol drug. Experts believe that the best result can be achieved by eating garlic for at least 3 months in a row. The compounds contained in the product slow down the production of "bad" cholesterol.

It is worth noting that not every person is suitable for this method of dealing with cholesterol. Many categories of patients are simply forbidden to eat a large amount of garlic due to the presence gastrointestinal diseases, for example, or .

White cabbage is undoubtedly one of the most beloved and widespread food products in our latitudes. According to nutritionists, it is the beloved cabbage that is the leader among other vegetables popular in our culinary tradition, as the best natural remedy from cholesterol. Eating even 100 grams of white cabbage (sauerkraut, fresh, stewed) per day will help to quickly and effectively reduce "bad" cholesterol.

Greens (onions, lettuce, dill, artichokes, parsley and others), and in any form they contain a huge amount of various useful compounds ( carotenoids, luteins, dietary fiber ), which have a beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole, and also help to raise the level of “good” cholesterol and lower the “bad” one.

Grains and legumes

Scientists up to the present time are discovering more and more useful properties of whole grains and legumes. Doctors and nutritionists agree that a diet of whole grains, grains and legumes is the most beneficial eating plan for maintaining good health.

Replace your usual morning sandwiches with oatmeal, and for lunch or dinner, prepare a side dish of millet, rye, buckwheat, barley or rice, and after a while you will not be able to help but notice the positive results.

Such an abundance of vegetable fiber during the day will not only cope with cholesterol, but will also help normalize the digestive tract. Different kinds legumes, as well as products containing soy - this is another source of biologically beneficial for the whole body. active ingredients, which also normalize blood cholesterol.

Soy dishes can equally replace red meats that are harmful to the cardiovascular system for a while. We think many have heard that rice, especially fermented red or brown rice, is an incredibly healthy food product that is rich in useful macro- and microelements, and also helps in the fight against "bad" cholesterol.

Vegetable oils

Almost everyone knows about the benefits of olive and other vegetable oils. However, for some reason, people in our latitudes were not fully able to appreciate the healing properties of vegetable oils. From time immemorial, heavy animal fats have been used in our culinary tradition, the constant use of which in food causes irreparable harm to the condition of the vessels of the human body.

The most effective in the fight against cholesterol are considered olive and flaxseed oils. Did you know that one tablespoon of olive oil contains about twenty-two grams of phytosterols , natural compounds, which help to balance the level of "bad" and "good" cholesterol in the blood. Nutritionists advise using unrefined oils, their composition has undergone less processing and contains more nutrients.

Vegetable oils - the most effective in the fight against cholesterol

The oil obtained from flax seeds, like the seed of the plant itself, has many beneficial properties, one of which is the ability to influence cholesterol.

Due to its unique chemical composition, which contains a huge amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (twice as much as in fish oil), researchers consider this herbal product to be a true natural medicine.

How to take flaxseed oil to heal and strengthen your body. Nutritionists advise to include in your diet as much food as possible of any vegetable fats, including flaxseed oil, which can be used both for cooking (for example, dressing a salad with it or adding it to porridge), and taken daily in a teaspoon as a medicinal food supplement.

We talked about how to remove bad cholesterol from your body with the help of food. However, not only food, but also drinks can help in the fight for your health. For many peoples, green tea has long been considered the first cure for many diseases and ailments.

This drink has not only a divine taste and aroma, but is also famous for its unique chemical composition, which contains natural flavonoids capable of providing positive influence on the state of human vessels.

Replace morning coffee with a cup of quality green tea (but not in bags) and you will get an excellent cholesterol remedy.

Such a hot drink with lemon and honey can become an effective and, most importantly, a tasty way to deal not only with cholesterol, but also with seasonal colds. Green tea strengthens, tones and cleanses the body, agree that it could be better.

Fish and seafood

As mentioned earlier, some types of fish and seafood contain a lot of cholesterol in their chemical composition. Of course, such products should be minimized in the diet of a person whose cholesterol level does not meet the standards. However, in most cases, the gifts of the seas, rivers, lakes and oceans are not only delicious, but also healthy foods nutrition.

Such types of fish as sardines and wild salmon are considered champions in terms of the content in their chemical composition indispensable for the human body. omega-3 fatty acids .

In addition, it is these species that contain the least amount of harmful mercury. Red salmon or sockeye salmon is an antioxidant fish, eating which helps cleanse the body of harmful substances.

Fish fat - it is well known healing remedy natural origin, which is used both for preventive and medicinal purposes. According to scientists, this natural statin perfectly copes with the increased level of "bad" cholesterol due to the content in its composition omega-3 fatty acids, which controls the production lipids in organism.

When a patient has elevated blood cholesterol levels, the doctor first advises him to reconsider his usual diet. Any methods of dealing with a harmful compound will be useless if you continue to saturate your body with foods rich in cholesterol.

in women, as in men,

• consist of dishes prepared by baking, boiling or stewing;
• include a large number of fresh vegetables, fruits, berries, as well as cereals and foods, the composition of which contains an excess of polyunsaturated fatty acid omega-3 groups.

Some types of seafood and dairy products can be used in the preparation of a diet for high cholesterol in women and men. However, it is worth remembering that milk, sour cream, kefir, yogurt and other products should not be high in fat. Many popular seafood can also be high in cholesterol.

To lower cholesterol levels, you need to exclude the following foods from your daily menu:

• animal proteins, such as those found in fatty fish and meat, fish and meat broths, in offal, in caviar and dairy products of high fat content;
• trans fats, which are found in abundance in mayonnaise, industrial preparations, margarine and everyone's favorite fast food;
• proteins of vegetable origin, for example, mushrooms and broths based on them;
• products containing caffeine (tea, coffee, energy drinks);
• simple carbohydrates (chocolate, muffins, confectionery);
• spicy seasonings, as well as salt.

Diet to lower cholesterol, menu for a week

In order for the patient to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood on their own, without resorting to drug treatment, nutritionists strongly recommend adhering to the above rules for a low-cholesterol diet. It is important to re-emphasize this.

The main principle of such a diet is the use in your diet of products that can regulate blood cholesterol. On all kinds of culinary forums, websites and blogs, you can learn tons of recipes that will help you cook. healthy food not only correct, but also delicious.

There are entire communities of people on the Internet who, due to various circumstances, are forced to constantly monitor the level of cholesterol in the blood. No matter how they know how to eat and what to do to reduce "bad" cholesterol. Therefore, listen to your doctor and trust the reviews of other people, then everything will definitely work out.

Sample low cholesterol menu

Breakfast

Can cook oatmeal or cereal on water or use low fat milk. In principle, any cereal porridge will be complete and healthy breakfast. Porridge is useful to season with olive oil. For a change, breakfast can be brown rice or an omelet made exclusively from egg whites.

Whole grain bread or cookies can be eaten for dessert with green tea, which is allowed to add honey and lemon. Of the popular morning drinks in a low cholesterol diet, coffee substitutes such as chicory and barley coffee are acceptable.

Lunch

You can have a snack before dinner with any fresh fruit or berries. It is not forbidden to eat cookies from whole grains, as well as drink green tea, juice or compote. In addition, fruit drinks or decoctions of wild rose and other medicinal herbs can be used as drinks.

Dinner

In the middle of the day, you can refresh your strength with vegetable soup for the first and baked fish with vegetables for the second. For a change, you can cook every day a different side dish of boiled, baked or stewed vegetables, as well as cereals.

afternoon tea

As in the case of second breakfast, for an afternoon snack you can eat fruit, drink juice or snack on a low-calorie salad of fresh vegetables or fruits.

Dinner

Following folk proverb that you need to eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, and give dinner to the enemy, the last meal should not consist of hard-to-digest and slowly digested dishes. In addition, nutritionists advise the last time to eat four hours before bedtime.

Can be cooked for dinner mashed potatoes or other vegetable dishes, as well as lean beef or chicken meat. For a light dinner, low-fat cottage cheese with yogurt and fresh fruit is ideal. As a dessert, you can use whole grain cookies and green tea with honey. Before going to bed, it will be useful to drink kefir to improve digestion or a glass of warm milk for sound sleep.

Update: November 2018

After a blood test for cholesterol, the doctor prescribes to the patient expensive cholesterol pills that prevent diseases of the cardiovascular system - statins.

At the same time, the doctor must also explain to the patient that now he must take these medicines constantly. Any pills - to lower cholesterol or from other diseases - all, without exception, have their own complex side effects.

And the doctor should warn his patient about all the possible side effects of statins. How can you lower cholesterol with pills and should you do it? Of course, every person who has high cholesterol in the blood thinks - do I need to take medicines?

From cholesterol there are 2 main groups pharmacological preparations- statins and fibrates, it is also recommended to use Omega 3 and lipoic acid. In this article, we will take a closer look at what cholesterol pills exist, their harm and benefit.

The information provided in this article does not advocate self-prescribing drugs or stopping statins prescribed by a doctor. If you have any doubts about the advisability of taking them, you should contact several specialists and undergo a comprehensive examination. The risk and benefit of drugs should only be assessed by a doctor in each specific clinical case, taking into account the presence of the patient's chronic diseases and the state of the cardiovascular system.

Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Statins - chemical substances that reduce the production of enzymes in the body that are necessary for the synthesis of cholesterol in the body. The instructions for these drugs, cholesterol-lowering pills, indicate the following:

• Statins reduce the concentration of cholesterol in plasma due to the inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase, reducing the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver.
• Reduce the concentration of cholesterol in individuals with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, not amenable to treatment with lipid-lowering drugs.
• Reduce total cholesterol by 30-45%, "bad" cholesterol - by 40-60%.
• They increase the concentration of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and apolipoprotein A.
• Reduces the risk of ischemic complications by 15%, including myocardial infarction and the risk of developing angina pectoris with signs of myocardial ischemia by 25%.
• Does not have a mutagenic and carcinogenic effect.

Side effects of statins

Using statins to lower cholesterol leads to weight gain side effects:

• Very common: insomnia, asthenic syndrome, headache, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, myalgia.
• Nervous system: amnesia, malaise, dizziness, hypoesthesia, paresthesia, peripheral neuropathy.
• Digestive system: vomiting, diarrhea, hepatitis, anorexia, cholestatic jaundice, pancreatitis.
• Musculoskeletal system:, back pain, muscle cramps, myopathy, arthritis of the joints.
• Allergic reactions: skin rash, urticaria, anaphylaxis, Lyell's syndrome, exudative erythema.
• Hematopoietic organs: thrombocytopenia.
• Metabolism: diabetes mellitus or - lowering blood sugar levels.
• , weight gain, obesity, peripheral edema.

Who needs statins to prolong life?

Instructions and advertisements for drugs to lower cholesterol convince people that statins significantly improve the quality of life, reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Numerous studies claim that the use of statins has virtually no side effects on the body and is an effective method of preventing heart attacks and strokes. “Drink them consistently and your bad cholesterol levels will drop and your good cholesterol levels will increase.” Can such statements be trusted and is it just an advertisement for expensive drugs?

In fact, not everything is so simple, and the need for statins for the elderly remains a very controversial issue. To date, the attitude towards statins is very ambiguous:

• Some studies support the use of statins for very high cholesterol levels and a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Others argue that the side effects and potential health risks for an older person are not comparable to possible benefits such prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Today, in the Russian Federation, statins are included in the treatment standards for a large number of cardiac pathologies. Their appointment reduces mortality. This does not mean at all that every patient with arterial hypertension or coronary heart disease should be treated with statins. Also, you can not prescribe them to everyone who is over 45 years old or who simply has high cholesterol levels in the blood.

Mandatory prescription of statins:

• For secondary prevention after a heart attack or stroke
• they are also indicated for reconstructive operations on the heart and large vessels (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting)
• acute coronary syndrome or myocardial infarction
• ischemic disease with high risks stroke or heart attack is also a reason to take statins.

Thus, for all severe coronary patients, statins are simply necessary to prolong life, there is no other way out. To reduce side effects - the doctor must choose the right drug, control biochemistry (1 time in 3 months), with a 3-fold increase in transaminases, statins should be canceled. Most serious complication statin treatment - rhabdomyolysis is quite rare.

Doubtful benefit when administered to patients:

• low risk
• women before menopause
• in patients with diabetes

In Russia, in pharmacy chains, you can find the following types of statins with different cholesterol-lowering activities:

• Rosuvastatin - lowers cholesterol by 55%
• Atorvastatin - by 47%
• Simvastatin - by 38%
• Fluvastatin - by 29%
• Lovastatin - by 25%

Some principles for choosing statins

Whether or not to take statins is an individual decision based on the doctor's recommendations. And if a decision is made to take statins, then the choice of the drug should be made by the doctor, taking into account the patient's existing chronic diseases.

Do not take any cholesterol-lowering drugs on your own. In case of lipid metabolism disorders and changes in the analyzes, you should contact a cardiologist or therapist. Let them evaluate your risks taking into account:

• sex, age, weight
• bad habits
• existing diseases of the cardiovascular system and side pathologies (primarily diabetes mellitus).

If a statin is prescribed, it should be taken in the dosages recommended by the doctor, donating blood biochemistry as often as he prescribes. If what is recommended for taking is too expensive, it is worth discussing the possibility of replacing it with a cheaper, but better original drug. Unfortunately, Russian generics are still inferior in quality not only to original imported drugs, but also to foreign generics.

When prescribing statins to the elderly, it should be borne in mind that their simultaneous use with drugs for gout, hypertension, diabetes mellitus increases the risk of myopathy by 2 times.

• If the patient has chronic liver disease, it is better for such patients to take rosuvastatin, but only in low doses, pravastatin (Pravaxol) can be used. These two types of statins protect the liver, but you should never drink alcohol or take antibiotics while taking them.
• If the patient has constant muscle pain, or there is a risk of muscle damage, then the use of the same pravastatin is more appropriate, since it is less toxic to the muscles.
• In patients with chronic diseases kidneys, you can not use Fluvastin - Leskol, as well as Atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor), as they are very toxic to the kidneys.
• Patients seeking to lower their low-density cholesterol levels may take different types statins, for example, you can take atorvastatin or rosuvastatin.

To date, there is no convincing data on the advisability of combining statins with nicotinic acid. In addition, nicotinic acid can cause a drop in sugar in diabetic patients, provoke bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, exacerbate gout and increase the risk of myopathies and rhabdomyolysis in simultaneous reception with statins.

A little about research and the potential harm of statins

Previously, guided by the recommendations of American experts, our cardiologists tended to prescribe statins in all cases. coronary disease, as well as in arterial hypertension and low risks of cardiovascular pathologies in adults . The Americans also recommended fairly high dosages of drugs (about 80 mg).

However, in the fall of 2013, the British Medical Journal (The BMJ), represented by its editor Fiona Godley, initiated a scandal by publishing two comments regarding statins. They referenced an observational study that showed that 20 percent of patients who took statins experienced adverse events.

The chairman of the statin research group, Rory Collins, who received money from the manufacturers of these drugs, demanded that these articles be retracted. However, an independent commission confirmed the BMJ data.

In Russia, not a single independent study has been conducted in this area, and doctors are actively prescribing these drugs to patients. In the US, physicians prescribe statins to lower cholesterol very frequently; in 2007 alone, the global trade in statins was $40 billion.

According to Canadian scientists, when using statins in patients, the risk of developing increases by 57%), if the patient also suffers from diabetes mellitus + to statins, this risk increases by 82%, this was confirmed by statistical analysis. That is, in older people with diabetes who take statins, the processes leading to cataracts occur 5.6 times faster.

After analyzing the results of 14 clinical studies aimed at studying the effects of statins (34,000 patients), the experts concluded that statins reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks, but due to the presence of serious side effects, they are not recommended for people who have not previously had any heart disease or there were no strokes. In those who regularly take statins, liver dysfunction, the development of cataracts, kidney failure, as well as depression, mood swings, short-term memory lapses, muscle myopathy.

• Low cholesterol is much more dangerous than high cholesterol, and statins can significantly reduce it.

Research in Germany proves that low level cholesterol increases the risk of cancer, liver disease, the same stroke, nervous diseases, anemia, and even suicide and early death.

• Low magnesium levels - the risk of stroke and heart attack

Research in the US states that high cholesterol, and low magnesium levels are responsible for heart attacks and strokes in humans. The deficiency of this microelement just leads to an increase in cholesterol, the development of diabetes, hypertension, angina pectoris and arthemia.

• The most important function of cholesterol to restore disorders in body tissues can be suppressed by statins

Science knows that any scar tissue of the body, including in the arteries, contains a large amount of cholesterol, and when the walls of blood vessels are damaged from the accumulation of proteins and under the influence of acids, cholesterol actively eliminates these damages. For the growth of muscle mass and normal life, the body needs precisely low-density fat cells (bad cholesterol), with a lack of which myalgia occurs (muscle pain, weakness, swelling) and even muscular dystrophy.

• Statins lower cholesterol, but is it good for the body?

HMG CoA reductase inhibitors suppress the production of cholesterol by reducing the production of mevalonate, a cholesterol precursor, but is it good? Mevalonate is a source not only of cholesterol, but also of a mass of other, very important substances that perform the necessary biological functions in the body, the lack of which leads to other diseases.

• Statins increase the risk of developing diabetes, which in turn provokes an increase in cholesterol.

If a patient constantly takes statins, this increases the likelihood of developing diabetes mellitus (according to various sources from 10 to 70%). At the same time, it is known that diabetes mellitus increases the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart disease by 2-4 times. Statins reduce the concentration of the GLUT4 protein in the cell, which is responsible for the level of glucose in the blood. A group of British scientists published a study that was conducted among 10,242 women over 63 years old. They were divided into 2 control groups, one group used statins, the other did not. As a result of the study, it turned out that taking statins by 70% increases the risk of developing after menopause.

• Side effects of statins appear slowly, which is not noticeable to the patient and is very dangerous with prolonged use.
• Influence on the mental abilities of a person

The human body is biochemically and physiologically a very finely coordinated system, and long-term interference with the natural life process necessarily results in various unexpected consequences. Statins, by inhibiting certain enzymes of cholesterol metabolism, have an effect on the liver. However, people with obesity and in a sedentary manner life for a period of time improve the condition of blood vessels. However, with constant intervention in the physiological system, there is a violation of more complex processes, for example, there is a decrease mental capacity person, especially the elderly.

High blood cholesterol in a patient under 50 is an indicator serious violations in the body - infections, diseases of the digestive system, disorders of carbohydrate metabolism. Cholesterol is not the cause of disease, but a mirror of health, and its rise as "the most important representative of sterols in the body" indicates that it protects, rather than weakens the body. Moreover, the concept of the influence of blood cholesterol levels on the occurrence of atherosclerosis is still only a hypothesis.

Mary Enig, a renowned lipid biochemist and president of the Maryland Dietetic Association, calls high cholesterol an invented disease. An increase in cholesterol levels is a protective reaction of the body to inflammation that has arisen, and first of all, it is necessary to find out the factors that harm the body and provoke inflammation. Some well-known doctors claim that real reasons occurrence of cardiovascular disease is stress, inflammation, diabetes.

In many developed countries of the world, programs to promote cholesterol reduction at the national level were launched 30 years ago, including:

• change in diet
• to give up smoking
• maintaining an active lifestyle
• taking statins

And as a result, mortality in the USA, Finland and other countries from cardiovascular diseases has decreased by 50% in 30 years. It is possible that quitting smoking and eating cholesterol-lowering foods, increasing physical activity is a smarter and safer way to prolong life than taking modern drugs that have serious side effects, the testing of which and the study of the effect on the body are still ongoing.

Another argument about the need for a careful assessment of harm and benefit before prescribing statins to older people

In one study of 3,070 people aged 60 years and older taking statins, 30% of patients experience side effects such as muscle pain. They often complain that they have become less energetic, they have increased fatigue, and severe weakness has appeared. Such pain is especially intense in people who have just started taking these drugs.

Thus, in a person taking statins, indicators of physical (moderate) activity are reduced by 40 minutes. in Week. Due to muscle pain, people are less motivated to exercise, train, just walk, which in itself brings heart attacks and strokes closer. Moreover, precisely for this reason, due to the lack of physical activity, patients begin to rapidly gain weight, muscles weaken, and there is an additional load on cardiovascular system and as a consequence, the same heart attacks and strokes!!!

Other cholesterol lowering pills - fibrates

There are other pills that reduce cholesterol in the blood - these are derivatives of fibric acid, which, by binding to bile acid, reduce the active production of cholesterol by the liver. Fenofibrates are able to reduce the content of lipids in the body, leading to a decrease in cholesterol levels.

According to clinical studies, it was found that the use of fenofibrates reduces the level of total cholesterol by 25%, triglycerides by 40-50% and at the same time increases good cholesterol by 10-30%. The instructions for cholesterol-lowering tablets fenofibrates, ciprofibrates indicate that their use helps to reduce extravascular deposits - tendon xanthomas, reduce triglycerides and cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

However, the use of these drugs leads to a number of side effects, most often these are various kinds of digestive disorders - vomiting or diarrhea.

Side effects of fenofibrates:

• Digestive system: hepatitis, pancreatitis, abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, flatulence, diarrhea, gallstone formation
• Musculoskeletal system: muscle weakness, diffuse myalgia, rhabdomyolysis, myositis, muscle spasms.
• The cardiovascular system: venous thromboembolism, pulmonary embolism.
• Nervous system: headaches, sexual dysfunction.
• Allergic reactions: photosensitivity, skin itching, skin rash, urticaria.

In order to reduce the dosage of statins, and hence their side effects, statins are sometimes combined with fibrates.

Drugs that reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine

Ezetemib (Ezetrol 14 pieces 1100 rubles, 28 pieces 2000 rubles) is a new lipid-lowering drug, it has the ability to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine. In addition, Ezetemib, unlike Orlistat (Xenalan, Orsoten, Xenical, etc.), does not cause diarrhea. The recommended daily dose of Ezetemibe is 10 mg.

However, it should be remembered that 80-70% of cholesterol is produced by the body itself and only 20-30% comes from food (% ratio may vary slightly).

Other funds

In general, dietary supplements are not drugs, and homeopathy does not undergo proper clinical research, therefore, in terms of evidence-based medicine, these drugs are significantly inferior to statins in preventing premature death or vascular accidents.

• Omega 3

Cardiologists in the US strongly recommend that patients with high blood cholesterol take fish oil (omega 3) tablets, which provide protection against cardiovascular disease, as well as the prevention of arthritis and depression. However, fish oil should also be taken with caution as it increases the risk of developing chronic pancreatitis.

• Tykveol

This is pumpkin seed oil, the use of the drug is recommended for people with hepatitis, cholecystitis. It is a phytopreparation with anti-inflammatory, choleretic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant action.

• Lipoic acid

It is used for the prevention and treatment of coronary atherosclerosis, since it is an endogenous antioxidant, it has a positive effect on carbohydrate metabolism, increases glycogen in the liver, and improves neuronal trophism.

• vitamin therapy

It also helps maintain normal cholesterol levels. Especially necessary are folic acid, vitamin B12 and B6, nicotinic acid - vitamin B3. However, vitamins should not be synthetic, but natural, that is, they should be increased in daily diet the amount of foods rich in these vitamins (see).

• BAA - SitoPren

This is an extract of fir paw, is a source of beta-sitosterol, and also contains polyprenols, is prescribed by a doctor for atherosclerosis, hypertension, high cholesterol and triglycerides.

Cholesterol in the human body performs an important function, so its presence is not a bad sign. However, there is a division into "good" and "bad" fractions of this substance. When a blood test for cholesterol shows high content, you should start lowering it. It is permissible to do this with the help of a diet, folk recipes or medications.

How and how to lower blood cholesterol at home

When the indicators go beyond the norm, it is possible that various problems arise in the body associated with a deterioration in the condition of the vessels (blockage, narrowing of the lumen). A high level of a substance (hypercholesterolemia) can provoke the development of a stroke, myocardial infarction. The human heart and vascular system are under attack. To quickly lower the level of a harmful substance in the blood, cholesterol-lowering pills are used. If the normal rate is slightly increased, you can use folk recipes, a diet.

No drugs

Not every person is ready to start taking medications for any ailments, which often have a high cost. In cases where a slight reduction is needed, a cholesterol-lowering diet will help. Reducing the consumption of certain foods and increasing others can normalize the level of cholesterol in the blood. Also, traditional medicine with recipes for tinctures, decoctions of garlic, herbs and oats can come to the rescue with an increased rate.

With cholesterol-lowering foods

The diet for high cholesterol is not rigid, has no special time limits, you can stick to it all the time. You can not eat fried, salty, spicy, alcohol. You can make a diet at your own discretion, based on the following permitted products that will help treat high cholesterol in the blood:

1. Complex carbohydrates: pasta, grain bread, cereals, fruits, vegetables.
2. Protein: cottage cheese, white fish, lean red meat, white meat (skinless poultry). Meat dishes you need to boil, stew or bake, stewed vegetables are good as a side dish.
3. Eggs - no more than 4 per day, but if you separate the yolk, then consumption is not limited in any way.
4. Sugar - no more than 50 g per day with high cholesterol.
5. Sour-milk products can be everything, but on condition that the fat content is not higher than 1%.

Folk remedies for high cholesterol

There are special folk decoctions and drugs that effectively lower high cholesterol. To cleanse the vessels of atherosclerotic growths, reduce the risk of cholesterol plaques, remove toxins, suitable folk methods. The most popular and effective are the following tools:

1. Infusion of calendula. For the treatment of high cholesterol, take it 30 drops before meals, the course should last a month (at least).
2. Flax seeds. You can buy them at a pharmacy for a small amount. For the treatment of high cholesterol, they are added to food in whole or crushed form.
3. Alfalfa. Young sprouts of this herb eat 15-20 blades of grass per day raw. The leaves of the plant can be ground, extract the juice. For treatment and 3 times a day, use 2 liters.
4. Squeeze 10 cloves of garlic through a press, pour 2 cups of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 7 days. Use the infusion for healing as a seasoning for food.

medicines

In cases of a sharp change in content and the necessary fast treatment elevated blood cholesterol is prescribed drug therapy. There are several groups of drugs that are well suited for treatment. As a rule, a patient with high cholesterol is prescribed:

1. Statins. Cholesterol medicine that blocks the production of enzymes involved in its formation. According to clinical data, a reduction of 60% can be achieved. Drugs in this group increase the level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which protect the body from heart attack, stroke, and can reduce the amount of triglycerides. The most common drugs from this group were Lexol, Baikol, Mevacor. The main contraindication is pregnancy, in other people it can cause gastrointestinal upset.
2. Fibric acids help to lower the level of triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins, which cause the development of atherosclerosis in excess. Reduce cholesterol by prescribing Clofibrate, Gemfibrozil, Fenofibrate.
3. A group of medicines that interact with bile acid. Medications are prescribed as often as statins. Sometimes these groups of drugs are taken simultaneously, which simplifies the fight and helps to cure the disease faster. As a rule, with elevated rates, in order to quickly reduce them, Colestid or Questran is prescribed.

Which doctor to contact

Elevated cholesterol in the blood has a negative effect on the work of the heart, the vascular system. The treatment of these diseases is carried out by a cardiologist, but for confirmation, he will definitely send for a general blood test. According to his data, it will be easy to determine whether a person is suffering from high cholesterol, so it would be right to do it right away at the clinic. To get rid of the root cause of high cholesterol, you need to determine what was the impetus for this. Doctors can prescribe therapy and methods of reduction: endocrinologist, therapist, cardiologist.

Video: what is cholesterol and how to deal with it

This article describes methods for lowering cholesterol through diet, herbs, and pills.

The cells of all living beings contain cholesterol - an organic substance, a natural fat-soluble alcohol. It forms the structure of tissues and is involved in the transport of substances into the cell and back.

• There are two types of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein - "bad" cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein - "good" cholesterol.
• High levels of "bad" cholesterol in the blood lead to heart attack and stroke.
• The consequence of high cholesterol is atherosclerosis of the vessels. This disease reduces the lumen in the blood "tubes", which leads to the appearance of cardiovascular diseases.
• Where can I get tested for cholesterol and with what drugs can I lower its levels? Find answers to these questions in this article.

Many doctors are sure that sedentary work, physical inactivity, lack of constant physical activity, overeating and malnutrition with the use of animal fats - all this leads to early clogging of blood vessels and causes high cholesterol in people.

It is important to recognize deviations in blood counts in a timely manner. Symptoms of high cholesterol:

• Rapid fatigue and pain in the legs with increased physical exertion.
• Angina, as a result of narrowed arteries of the heart.
• Rupture of blood vessels.
• Heart failure.
• The appearance of xanthoma - yellowness around the eyes.

Elevated cholesterol itself does not have any pronounced symptoms. The appearance of atherosclerosis is noticeable for the body - a consequence of high rates of "bad fat". If other diseases can be recognized by specific symptoms, then high cholesterol is detected after the onset of serious diseases: heart attack, stroke.

Advice: No need to wait unpleasant consequences for signs of high cholesterol. Get tested once every 3-5 years. After 35 years, such an analysis should be done every year.

You can take tests in the laboratory of any clinic. What to do if high cholesterol is found? An integrated approach is important in the normalization of blood cholesterol levels:

• Sports - 5-6 times a week for 40 minutes
• To give up smoking
• Weight control
• Proper nutrition
• Medical treatment

Here are some tips to help lower your cholesterol:

• Eat more fiber. It absorbs fat and toxins and removes them from the body.
• Go in for sports. Any cardio load or even just walking for an hour is useful.
• Avoid foods containing trans fats: margarine, palm oil and so on.
• Eat marine oily fish 2 times a week or consume food supplements with omega-3 fatty acids in the composition. It is worth noting that sea fish, even low-fat, is useful, as it contains useful material, indispensable for our body in the fight against harmful fats. But with stable high cholesterol levels, replace oily sea fish with cod fish.
• Give up bad habits: smoking, drinking alcohol.

Do preventive check-ups when appropriate for your age. After all, most diseases are detected on initial stage when nothing hurts. Complications that appear due to high cholesterol are irreversible and treatment will not relieve existing ailments, but only prevent the emergence of new ones.

Norm of cholesterol in the blood by age in women and men, after 40-50 years: table

The norm of indicators of cholesterol "bad" (LDL) and "good" (HDL) in men and women is different. At the same time, the indicators also differ depending on age.

The norm of cholesterol in the blood by age in women after 40-50 years - table:

The norm of cholesterol in the blood by age in men after 40-50 years - table:

Bookmark this article on your computer or print out the tables so that they are always at hand. After taking blood tests, you will already know your cholesterol levels are normal or you need to pay attention to your health.

If you don’t feel like going to the hospital to get tested, you can purchase a cholesterol tester or test strips for Aliexpress. Many people do not even know, but on Ali you can find any thing and even such devices. How to buy a device for measuring cholesterol in the blood and Aliexpress test strips? Here are the links to the catalog:

• Device for determining cholesterol catalogs at this link .
• Test strips are catalog at this link .

Choose devices and test strips at a low price, order and monitor your health. On Aliexpress, these products are much cheaper than in any pharmacy in your city - profitable and affordable.

Pills, medicines for high cholesterol: list, application

If the cholesterol level is elevated, plaques form on the walls of the vessels, which crack, and blood clots appear in this place. Therefore, it is important to monitor the level of cholesterol, and if its levels are high and there is a risk of developing atherosclerosis, then this state of the body must be corrected with the help of drugs. The doctor should prescribe medication only after the examination. If the indicators are extremely high, then the following groups of drugs are prescribed to the patient:

• Statins- chemicals that block the production of enzymes necessary for the synthesis of harmful fat.
• Fibrates- a drug derived from fibric acid. Its constituents bind to bile acid, reducing the active production of cholesterol by the liver.

Pills, medicines for high cholesterol - list and use:

statin drugs:

Do not ignore the large number of side effects of these drugs. They must be reported to the doctor before prescribing medication to the patient. Side effects of statins:

Fibrates:

Side effects of fenofibrates:

IN Lately doctors prescribe statins and fibrates in combination to patients to reduce the dosage of statins and their negative effects on the body.

delicious foods food, alluring with its appetizing… It is natural for a person to enjoy food, but the saying has long been known that everything tasty is harmful. And this is true - fatty, sweet, fried foods are harmful. It has a lot of cholesterol, which slowly “kills” a person.

Products containing cholesterol and increasing cholesterol - a list and a table:

If you have high cholesterol, then it is better to completely exclude these products from the diet. Below is a table with the content of "harmful" fat in grams. See the ratio and choose food with low content cholesterol.

Save this table so that you can see at any time whether you can eat this or that dish or not.

Even Tibetan monks said that our food is our medicine. But for food to be truly healthy, it must be right. Nature has given us products that help get rid of various ailments. There are also foods that lower the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood. They should be consumed constantly, especially vegetables and fruits, nuts and green tea.

Products that lower cholesterol and cleanse blood vessels - list, table:

The table with the ratio of cholesterol is above.

It is believed that the level of cholesterol in the blood can be lowered with the help of proper nutrition.

• This is true, but the use of only this method of treating hypercholesterolemia is not suitable for all patients. Drugs are often required.
• Only a doctor will be able to make a correct diagnosis and recognize whether this ailment has turned into a pathology, or it is still possible to correct the indicators with the help of nutrition.
• It describes in detail how to reduce, reduce the level of elevated bad cholesterol in the blood without medication by nutrition. In the same article there is a diet menu - table number 10 for every day.
• Following the advice, it will be easy for you to lower your cholesterol levels a little at first.
• Then, when the diet becomes a way of life for you, you can protect your body from the negative effects of "bad" fat.

This will reduce the risk of acquiring atherosclerosis and all related diseases - heart attack, stroke and others.

What you can eat with high cholesterol is described in detail above and in the "table number 10" diet. Below will be published a list of foods and dishes that are strictly forbidden to eat with high cholesterol. Avoid these foods:

• Alcohol of any kind and in any quantity. Alcoholic drinks have a negative effect on the liver and blood vessels, which are already worn out with high cholesterol.
• Sweet flour products. It is the main source of trans fats. It is necessary to exclude all types of cookies, marmalade, bread, buns, chocolate, cakes, waffles and more. Depending on the indicators, a little marshmallow and biscuit "dry" cookies are allowed - 2 times a week.
• All types of fast food. Fast food has a negative effect on the liver, which is involved in metabolism. In addition, fast food ingredients contain a large amount of fat.
• Salo and sausage. These products contain a large amount of easily digestible fats.
• Mayonnaise. Nutritionists have been sounding the alarm about this product for a long time. It can be perfectly replaced with a light classic yogurt or homemade sour cream sauce.
• Eggs. Eggs of any kind are excluded. When cholesterol levels return to normal, only proteins can be consumed and no more than 2 times a week.
• Salt retains fluid in the body. Because of this, the kidneys do not function well, there is a load on the heart and blood vessels.
• Fried fish. If you have critical cholesterol levels, then give up fatty fish. Steam cod fish. It has little fat, and many useful substances that will fight atherosclerosis.
• Fat meat- pork, goose, duck, offal (liver, kidneys, tongue, brains). Replace with rabbit meat, beef, chicken (breast), quail and turkey.
• Rich soups and broths. Prepare vegetable soups, without meat. Already in the finished broth, you can cut the boiled breast or other permitted meat (no more than 100 grams).
• Mushrooms and all dishes from them.
• Sour-milk and dairy products of high fat content. Eliminate homemade sour cream, fatty cottage cheese and whole milk.
• Fresh bread, pancakes, fried pies. In addition, when eating dishes made from white wheat flour, the situation is aggravated in people with. Replace these meals with whole grain rye bread, which is high in fiber.
• Pizza- so loved by many people, but it is made from white flour and fatty meat, which leads to an increase in cholesterol levels. Make pizza with vegetables and herbs, and instead of dough, you can use a regular omelette with a little cornmeal.
• spicy seasonings: mustard, garlic, onion, sorrel. Irritate the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines. Not recommended for poor metabolism.
• Sweet dried fruits. Today they are made from the juice of berries and sugar, with the addition of dyes. Replace with ordinary dried fruits: raisins, dried apricots, prunes.
• Coffee and black tea. Change to green or White tea. You can drink a decoction of wild rose and once a week a barley coffee drink.

A few tips on what not to do with high cholesterol:

• Sleep less. A person must rest at least 7 hours at night in order for the body to recover normally.
• Avoid physical activity. In this case, movement is life. Run, walk, exercise. Choose the loads that you can do and do them daily.
• Drink alcohol and smoke.
• Drink coffee and black tea.
• Eat a lot of fatty, sweet and starchy foods.
• Don't watch your weight. If you refuse fatty foods and you go in for sports, then your weight will return to normal, and with it your cholesterol levels. If you are not able to lose weight, then you are not eating right or you are not exercising enough. Seek help from a nutritionist and fitness center trainer, they will help you adjust your diet and introduce sports into your life.

Advice: Go for preventive check-ups according to the schedule for your age in order to detect abnormalities in blood counts in a timely manner. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Dietary supplements are drugs that consist of natural ingredients. These can be plant extracts, minerals and extracts from animal organs, supplemented with vitamins and other beneficial substances.

What vitamins, dietary supplements are involved in cholesterol metabolism? Biologically active additives to lower cholesterol levels help to increase lipid metabolism, reduce the absorption of fat and reduce the concentration of "bad" cholesterol in the blood. Here is a list of dietary supplements and vitamins that improve the digestion process, cleanse the body of toxins and unhealthy fats, and help lower cholesterol levels:

• Chitosan from Evalar. Amino sugar of natural origin. Reduces cholesterol and uric acid levels in the blood.
• Lecithin Granules. It is used for atherosclerosis as a food supplement.
• Vita Taurine. Plant based amino acid. Responsible for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins in the body.
• Sitopren. Inhibits the absorption of fat by intestinal cells. Active substance- extract of Siberian fir.
• Anticholesterol Alfalfa. Prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques and removes uric acid from the body.
• Fibropect. Lemon prunes. Helps maintain normal cholesterol levels. Assigned to people young age, in which it is still possible to adjust the indicators with the help of a diet.
• Mega Plus. This food supplement consists of two types of acids that are extracted from fish oil.
• Seaweed Optima. Strengthens the walls of blood vessels and lowers cholesterol levels in the body.

With high cholesterol, all dietary supplements and vitamins with Omega-3 fatty acids are useful. But remember that before using any drugs, even food supplements, you should consult your doctor.

Fish oil is an effective remedy against various diseases. It is available, as it is inexpensive and has an excellent healing effect on the body. This substance cleanses blood vessels, helps get rid of blood clots and normalizes the level of "bad" fat. But how do fish oil, omega-3, lipoic acid normalize cholesterol levels?

• Omega-3 protects the body from inflammation. Reduces triglyceride levels. Thanks to this, blood clots do not form and cholesterol levels decrease.
• Fish oil contains nutrients and acids that are part of cell membranes. They affect the functions of cell receptors.
• Omega-3 fatty acids ingested with food are absorbed much better than those that we get with the help of dietary supplements.

Cardiologists around the world advise their patients to take fish oil to prevent cardiovascular disease and hypercholesterolemia.

Remember: Uncontrolled intake of this supplement can lead to the development of chronic pancreatitis. Therefore, before taking any drug with fish oil included, consult your physician.

Thyroid synthesizes thyroid hormones responsible for controlling metabolism.

• The imbalance of these hormones negatively affects the blood lipid profile. Therefore, there is a relationship between cholesterol and thyroid levels.
• For diseases thyroid gland it also increases the level of triglycerides in the blood, a chemical compound that is the most common form of fat in the body.
• Often, if the cholesterol level is elevated, the doctor prescribes a thyroid examination, which helps to get an overall picture of the cause of hypercholesterolemia.

It is important to achieve a balance of thyroid hormones. Without this, it is impossible to normalize cholesterol levels, if this problem, of course, is associated precisely with diseases of this organ, and not with nutrition or an unhealthy lifestyle.

Herbs for cholesterol: a list

The value of plant components in the treatment of a disease has been proven for a long time. Medical drugs have many side effects, and herbs do not have a negative impact on our health. What herbs can be used for cholesterol? Here is the list:

• Kalina. You can use the fruits in their pure form, as well as leaves and bark in the form of decoctions.
• Raspberries. Berries, leaves and twigs are used in the form of a decoction. Prevents the formation of atherosclerosis.
• Oats. The grass and grains of this plant contain trace elements that improve metabolism.
• Cinnamon. Perfectly fights with "harmful" fat in the body and removes toxins.
• Dandelion. A decoction from the root of this plant cleanses the vessels.
• Alfalfa. Removes "bad fat" from the body.
• Red clover. It makes the vessels elastic and the heart healthy.
• Linden flowers. The decoction helps to remove toxins and “wash out” excess cholesterol.
• Calendula. It has long been used as an anti-sclerotic agent.
• Spiraea. It copes well with high cholesterol, prevents the development of atherosclerosis.
• Liquorice root. At long-term use lowers blood cholesterol levels.
• Flax seeds. They improve the work of the heart and increase the elasticity of blood vessels. Due to this, cholesterol will not be deposited in the form of plaques on the walls of the arteries.

It is also effective to use herbal preparations in such combinations:

The ingredients of the fees can be interchanged, but the best results will be achieved if you use them in this form.

Various herbs are used to normalize blood cholesterol levels, but the most popular are red clover, dandelion, linden flowers and meadowsweet. These herbs should be dried at room temperature. Then you can prepare decoctions. Here is the prescription:

• Take 1 tablespoon of herbs, pour a glass of boiling water. Put on a boil water bath for 20 minutes. Then remove the decoction, cool, strain and take 1/3 cup 3 times a day half an hour before meals.

Important: If you have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, then take the decoction 30 minutes after eating.

A decoction of meadowsweet you can cook not only in a water bath, but also directly on gas. But then the cooking time will be no more than 5-7 minutes.

Cinnamon more commonly used in powder form. Drink 2 hours before bedtime a glass of kefir, in which you first need to stir 0.5 teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Such a cocktail will help reduce cholesterol levels if consumed daily.

Garlic and lemon have long been used to treat various ailments. Combined with honey, these foods work great for lowering cholesterol.

Advice: It was described above that garlic should not be used for people with diseases of the stomach and intestines, as it greatly irritates the mucous membrane. Therefore, before using the remedy with garlic and lemons, consult your doctor.

Recipe for high cholesterol remedy with garlic, lemon and honey:

• Take 5 medium sized lemons, 5 peeled garlic cloves. Squeeze juice from lemons, chop garlic. Pour lemon juice into 0.5 liters of honey and spread the garlic mass. Mix everything thoroughly. Take away for a week dark place, and then consume 1 teaspoon 3 times a day after meals until all remedy is gone.

Flax seed ornate useful trace elements regulating cholesterol in the blood, as well as helping to remove toxins from the liver.

• To prepare a miracle remedy, take 100 grams of flax seed, sesame and pumpkin seeds. Grind in a blender or coffee grinder. Then add 1 teaspoon of the resulting powder to meals during meals.

Sauerkraut since ancient times it is considered a good remedy for the health of the body. Cabbage does an excellent job of cleansing the intestines, which improves the process of digestion and removal of harmful substances from the body. Therefore, with the onset of autumn, make sauerkraut. You can add cranberries, apples, beets and other vegetables to it, which makes this dish even more useful.

Almonds and other nuts contain a lot of fat, but it is vegetable fat and it is good for the body. Daily you need to consume up to 30 grams of nuts in their pure form. But, if you are struggling with excess weight, then this rate is reduced to 10 grams (no more than a press).

It was described above from which groups of medicines doctors prescribe drugs to lower cholesterol. Statin tablets and fibrates have many side effects. Therefore, only a doctor will be able to assess the risk of their use. If he decides that the patient needs to take Mertenil, Atorvastatin, Atoris or Dibicor for cholesterol, then you need to follow his advice and undergo a course of treatment.

Important: The dosage is prescribed only by the doctor! How to take this or that drug, only a doctor knows. The age of the patient, the severity of the course of the disease and other aspects are taken into account.

There is a misconception that cholesterol enters the body with food. But it can also be synthesized by our internal systems.

• For example, the liver breaks down fats, and bile neutralizes them. If there are problems with the liver, respectively, fats enter directly into the bloodstream and are deposited on the walls of blood vessels.
• If a person drinks alcohol, his liver suffers under the influence of ethanol and stops working properly. The level of cholesterol rises.
• Tobacco and coffee have a detrimental effect on the walls of blood vessels and the heart. The process of blood circulation worsens, the vessels become less elastic and are not cleaned. Blood clots, cholesterol plaques and problems with the cardiovascular system appear.

If the human body is healthy, then it removes toxins well, as well as excess cholesterol. This is the relationship between cholesterol and alcohol, smoking and coffee.

It is important not only to know which foods contain cholesterol, but also to cook food properly. It is unacceptable to fry food, it is better to boil or steam. Also, do not put salt in your food and do not consume sugar.

• Many people believe that protein diet helps to reduce weight and improve the body. But it's not like that. Almost all proteins contain a lot of fat, and eating only them, you run the risk of raising blood cholesterol to critical levels. Harmful fat is found in meat, whole milk, butter and even in red caviar.
• In pork fat, oddly enough, there is exactly "good" cholesterol - high density. But you should not abuse this product. Eat no more than 5-10 grams of salted bacon per week, that is, 1-2 pieces.
• Quail eggs, although considered healthy, have cholesterol in them. Therefore, you need to eat them 2-4 eggs per week.
• Shrimps are also considered a dietary product, but they contain more than 140 milligrams of cholesterol.
• There is no cholesterol in sunflower oil, but it is useful only in its natural form. You can’t fry food on it, as useful substances will turn into cholesterol compounds.
• Beer itself does not contain cholesterol. But with its constant use in large quantities, an active process of synthesis of harmful fat occurs. Occurs in the body hormonal disbalance which is not good for health.

Take blood tests in a timely manner and do not delay going to the doctor if you feel any ailments. Elevated cholesterol is called the "silent" killer of a person. Remember that your health is in your hands!

Video: About the most important thing. How to Lower Your Cholesterol

Back in the middle of the 18th century, when studying the structure of stones formed in the gallbladder, a previously unknown substance was isolated. After 20 years, it was called cholesterol, a word that translates from Greek as " gallstone". For a long time this compound, its role in the human body, its varieties were studied, and only in the second half of the 20th century it became finally known how dangerous cholesterol can be. How to lower cholesterol at home and eat right, is it worth changing your lifestyle - questions that everyone should know the answers to.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol, from a chemical point of view, is a monohydric secondary alcohol, which dissolves well in fats and poorly in water. It is an organic compound, a type of lipid, that is synthesized primarily in the liver and performs many important functions for the body. It binds well with proteins, acids, many salts, carbohydrates.

From a biological point of view, cholesterol is a necessary component of many vital bio chemical reactions occurring in almost all living organisms.

Its role in the human body is:

• performing a "building" function, that is, cholesterol is part of all cells and ensures the stability of cell membranes;
• participation in the exchange of bile acids necessary for proper digestion (absorption of fats);
• acting as a precursor of steroid and sex hormones, the synthesis of which is impossible without cholesterol;
• participation in the synthesis of vitamin D.

In an adult, the body contains approximately 2 mg of cholesterol per 1 kg of body weight.

Depending on the involvement in biochemical processes, all cholesterol is divided into:

1. Rapidly metabolizing, found in the liver, intestinal wall and blood. It is this cholesterol that is used in most metabolic processes.
2. Slowly exchanging, including cholesterol in other organs, except for the nervous system.
3. Very slowly exchanging, accumulating in the nervous system.

A relatively constant amount of cholesterol is maintained due to its regular intake with food and synthesis in the body. Moreover, about 500 mg per day comes from the outside, and 800 mg per day is synthesized.

The formation of cholesterol occurs in:

• liver - 80%;
• the wall of the small intestine - 10%;
• skin - 5%;
• other organs - 5%.

Therefore, the main source of internal cholesterol is the liver. This is the largest parenchymal organ abdominal cavity synthesizes cholesterol not only for the whole organism, but also for its cells.

The synthesis of cholesterol in the human body is a set of 25 consecutive chemical reactions that occur under the action of special enzymes. However, the key substance on which the rate of cholesterol formation depends is hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase or simply HMG-CoA reductase. The most common group of drugs that help lower cholesterol - statins - act by suppressing the activity of this particular enzyme.

Kinds. Good and Bad Cholesterol: What's the Difference?

The exchange of cholesterol is carried out in various organs, so it must be transported inside the liver itself through the bloodstream, to the places of its destruction or storage, and back.

For this, the body has transport lipoproteins (LP), which differ somewhat in their structure:

• VLDL - very low density lipoproteins;
• TLPP - transitional density lipoproteins;
• LDL - low density lipoproteins;
• HDL - high density lipoproteins.

Lipoproteins containing large amounts of triglycerides

VLDL is the main transport form of lipids that are synthesized in the body.

• about 20% cholesterol;
• up to 20% phospholipids;
• up to 70% triglycerides.

After entering the bloodstream, VLDL are broken down and release triglycerides, which enter the fat, muscle tissue and a heart to use as energy.

Lipoproteins containing large amounts of cholesterol

These forms of lipoproteins are called "bad", because their excessive formation contributes to the deposition of cholesterol in the vessels, the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and the development of severe pathology.

This form of lipoproteins is formed as a result of the breakdown of VLDL and contains a large amount of cholesterol in its composition:

• total cholesterol is about 40-45%;
• triglycerides up to 34%;
• phospholipids about 15%.

Most of them are absorbed by the liver, and the remaining amount is converted into low density lipoproteins.

The greatest amount of cholesterol is contained in this form of lipoproteins, which are synthesized by the liver and are formed from transitional density lipoproteins.

• total cholesterol 50%;
• triglycerides up to 10%;
• phospholipids about 25%.

75% of LDL cholesterol goes to the needs of the liver, adrenal glands and other organs and tissues. The second metabolic pathway is involved in atherosclerosis - peroxidation, leading to the formation of components of atherosclerotic plaques.

Lipoproteins containing large amounts of phospholipids

HDL is called "good" because its main function is to transport cholesterol from the peripheral tissues and bloodstream back to the liver for further metabolism.

The composition of these drugs has distinctive features:

• more than half of their structure is protein (up to 65%);
• total cholesterol about 25%;
• phospholipids up to 40%;
• small amount of triglycerides.

They are formed as a result of the metabolism of VLDL and are synthesized by the liver.

Atherogenic and non-atherogenic lipoproteins

Based on the composition and metabolism, all lipoproteins are divided into two types:

• contributing to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques - LDL;
• preventing the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels - HDL.

High-density lipoproteins are so small that they are able to penetrate into the vascular wall, take away excess cholesterol, freely exit and transport cholesterol to the liver. At the same time, they help restore tissues at the cellular level: they renew the internal structures of the cell and its wall with the help of phospholipids.