Honey Lowers Cholesterol

A Honey Spoonful a Day Keeps the Free Radicals at Bay!

There have been many reports that honey lowers cholesterol.

Now, what exactly is cholesterol? It is a type of lipid or fat produced by the liver needed to make vitamin D and some hormones, build cell walls, and create bile salts that help you digest fat. Our liver produces enough of this waxy substance (about 1,000 milligrams a day), so we don't have to worry if there is need to get supplements. In fact, many foods contain cholesterol and sometimes it's hard to ensure that we don't get an excessive intake of cholesterol that could lead to serious health problems. Eggs, meats, and whole-fat dairy products (including milk, cheese, and ice cream) are loaded with cholesterol, whereas vegetables, fruits, and grains contain none. Because cholesterol can't travel alone through the bloodstream, it has to combine with certain proteins, which pick up the cholesterol and transport it to different parts of the body. When the cholesterol and protein are combined, a lipoprotein is formed. Most cholesterol is LDL/bad (low-density lipoproteins) cholesterol which can narrow the arteries and clog the blood vessels that supply the vital organs such as the heart, brain, kidneys and intestines. This is why it's so important to start paying attention to our cholesterol levels by maintaining a healthy weight, keeping an exercise regime to strengthen your heart, avoiding foods that are high in saturated fat and trans fat and following a at a diet that contains many low-cholesterol foods such as fruits, veggies, whole grains (like breads and cereals), legumes (beans), and fish. When you eat more of these carbohydrate-rich foods, you will eat less of the foods higher in fat and cholesterol.

Honey and cholesterol-free recipes are often associated in the world of healthy foods. Not only is honey free of cholesterol, it has been reported that adding small amounts of it in the daily diet could even help keep cholesterol levels in check. High in minerals such as potassium, calcium and sodium and B complex vitamins, honey is known to be a cholesterol fighter - honey lowers cholesterol in our blood! The antioxidants in honey prevent cholesterol from being moved out of the blood and into the lining of the blood vessels.

Daily consumption of this natural sweetener could raise blood levels of protective antioxidant compounds in the body. It is believed that honey contains about the same range of antioxidants as green vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach and also comparable to fruits such as apples, bananas, oranges and strawberries. And the antioxidant level in mead , a wine made with honey is believed to be comparable to white wine in terms of its antioxidant capability. Generally, it's been known that dark honey lowers cholesterol more effectively than lighter honey. For instance, Buckwheat honey contains the highest levels of antioxidants. The intake of honey and cinnamon, mixture also has been reported to have innate healing characteristics that appear to help diabetics control both blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

So, see if honey lowers cholesterol by kick starting your day with this honey and lemon home remedy, cleansing tonic: mix a spoonful or two of honey and the juice of half a lemon into a cup of hot water and drink each morning before breakfast. Incorporate honey in more places where you might be using table sugar, and use it often as a home remedy, in no time, you may find a significant increase in the amount of antioxidant chemical compounds in your body.

By Ruth Tan

Natural Cure For High Cholesterol and Triglycerides

Cholesterol is found throughout your cells and in your bloodstream. Your body needs a certain amount of cholesterol to function properly, but it is when you have too much that your health can begin to suffer. There is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. HDL is the identifier for good cholesterol and LDL identifies your bad cholesterol number. A natural cure for high cholesterol and triglycerides can help.

Excess LDL can build up in the inner lining of your artery walls and cause blockages that don't let blood flow through easily. A level of less than 100 mg/dL is considered a most favorable number in LDL. Levels of HDL are considered good when they are above the number 40 mg/dL. These two numbers combined are often used to assess the capacity for risk of a heart attack or stroke. Both good and bad cholesterol are made in your body and come from the foods you eat. Your total blood cholesterol level should be below 200 mg/dL.

Triglycerides are another form of fat. They are also made in your body and they come from the foods you eat. High cholesterol and high triglycerides often go hand-in-hand and are a determinant of heart disease. Your triglyceride level should be less than 150 mg/dL.

To combat high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, doctors will often prescribe medications. For a lot of people, these medications either don't work or they bring about way too many side effects to make it worthwhile for them to use.

Natural cures are available to help with these conditions. A product named Resterol focuses on adding nutrients to your system to help fight cholesterol build-up. Nutrients in Resterol have been compared to eating as much as two pounds of almonds, seven cups of sunflower seeds, half a garlic bulb, a turmeric plant root, 1 1/2 cups of brown rice, and the resin of a Commiphora mukul herb.

Another supplement choice is Cholesto-rite, which combines herbal ingredients that have been well-researched to provide the nutritional requirements to fight the build-up of cholesterol and triglycerides.

D-Herbs Cholesterol Buster supplement pills contain such natural ingredients as Apple Fiber, Alfalfa, Cayenne, Green Tea, Devil's Claw, Glucommanon, Calamus, Fenugreek, Guggal Gum, and Yunnan Toucha. This is a vegetarian formula that provides supplements your body needs, especially if you eat a lot of meat products. When your cholesterol and triglyceride levels are high, you should reduce the amount of fatty meat you consume as well.

Alfalfa is known as one of the good grains because alfalfa leaves have been known to reduce cholesterol levels and shrink plaque along your artery walls. Oats are another grain source that are given a lot of credit in reducing cholesterol. Oatmeal has long been a favored food in reducing overall cholesterol numbers.

As always, along with any natural aid or prescription aid, for that matter, you should watch what you eat and get regular exercise. Try a natural cure for your high cholesterol and triglycerides problem numbers. A natural cure using organic ingredients is always the best way to treat your body.
By Matt Morrison