KEY POINTS

  • High blood cholesterol is one of the problems that many are facing today
  • Avoiding the intake of some foods that are known to cause a spike in cholesterol levels could greatly help
  •  There is also one supplement that is very effective in lowering bad cholesterol

High cholesterol is said to be a result of a lot of factors, mostly that of an unhealthy lifestyle. With almost everyone living a fast-paced life today, monitoring cholesterol levels can be a tedious exercise. A daily consciousness of what to eat and what not to eat can greatly help in preventing cholesterol levels to spike.

But what if you are too busy even to prepare meals or visit the nearest restaurant. What you can do is opt for supplements. According to health experts, there is one supplement that could help you lower blood cholesterol.

Artichoke Leaf Extract

An artichoke leaf extract is one of the supplements that you can have in order to help lower your cholesterol levels. As per the Express report, there was a large review of 700 people, and it was found that supplementing with the extract every day for 5 to 13 weeks lowered their bad cholesterol.

Artichokes
Pictured: Artichokes Free-Photos - Pixabay

Remember that there are two kinds of cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, which is the LDL, and the other is the good cholesterol, also known as HDL. What needs to be lowered is bad cholesterol levels.

Aside from the study with 700 participants, another study, this time with 143 adults who were suffering from high cholesterol, showed that when they were given artichoke leaf extract daily for 6 weeks, there was a significant reduction in their bad cholesterol levels. Their total cholesterol was reduced by 18.5%, and their total LDL cholesterol was reduced by 22.9%.

More than reducing bad cholesterol levels, it was also ascertained that it also boosts good cholesterol levels. These great benefits from artichoke extract are the result of two things. First, the artichokes contain an antioxidant called luteolin. This helps prevent the formation of cholesterol. Second, it prompts the body to process cholesterol efficiently. Hence, it is able to lower cholesterol levels.

Antioxidants are known to help in protecting the heart from various diseases. This is why the body certainly benefits from the artichoke extract.

More Ways to Lower Bad Cholesterol

There are other ways that you can lower bad cholesterol. Try to cut down on fatty foods, especially those with saturated fat.

These foods would include meat pies, fatty meat, sausages, cream, cakes, biscuits, cheeses, and butter. By avoiding these foods and also taking artichoke leaf extract, you would be able to lower blood cholesterol levels.