All about LDL,HDL and Cholesterol
Before we get in to details of lowering bad cholesterol or LDL with natural products, it is important that we have a good understanding of what LDL, HDL and cholesterol means in general. Before we define cholesterol, let’s learn about a little about “Lipids”.

Lipids are fats that are found throughout the body. Cholesterol, a type of lipid, is found in foods from animal sources. This means that eggs, meats, and whole-fat dairy products (including milk, cheese, and ice cream) are loaded with cholesterol - and vegetables, fruits, and grains contain none. The liver produces about 1,000 milligrams of cholesterol a day, and you probably consume about 150 to 250 milligrams in the foods you eat.

Because cholesterol can't travel alone through the bloodstream, it has to combine with certain proteins. These proteins act like trucks, picking up the cholesterol and transporting it to different parts of the body. When this happens, the cholesterol and protein form a lipoprotein together. The two most important types of lipoproteins are high-density lipoproteins (or HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (or LDL).

You've probably heard people call LDL cholesterol "bad cholesterol" and HDL cholesterol "good cholesterol" because of their very different effects on the body. Most cholesterol is LDL cholesterol, and this is the kind that's most likely to clog the blood vessels, keeping blood from flowing through the body the way it should. About one third to one fourth of the total amount of cholesterol is HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol back to the liver, where it can be processed and sent out of the body. LDL or bad cholesterol increases the risk of coronary heart disease(CHD). According to National Institute of Health (NIH), more that 13 millions Americans have CHD, and more that 500,000 die each year. This makes CHD one of the leading causes of death in Unites States.

But let's get back to reality for a second here – High Cholesterol is not caused by a lack of statin drugs. High cholesterol is caused by lifestyle choices we make, such as consuming certain foods and avoiding exercise, and the only natural way to lower cholesterol also happens to be a completely cost-free way to do so: by changing the foods you purchase and consume and by engaging in regular physical exercise. Doing so will cause your cholesterol levels to plummet on their own, without needing dangerous prescription drugs.

What can influence HDL and LDL levels?

Permanent Factors:

Medical history, Genetic background, Gender, Age

Lifestyle choices:

• Smoking, Obesity, Inactivity, Drinking alcohol, Eating a high-fat diet, especially saturated and trans fats
• You can improve your HDL and LDL levels and lower your risk of developing a cardiovascular disease if you take some of the following steps towards heart healthy living:
• Eat a menu lower in fats and high in whole-grain foods (such as whole wheat bread, vegetables, fruits and legumes);
• Drink alcohol only in moderation (no more than 2 drinks per day);
• Enjoy regular physical activity such as walking, swimming, riding a bicycle, gardening, etc;
• Don't smoke;
• Maintain a healthy body weight;

There are some natural vegetables such as bitter gourd/bitter melon and okra that can lower triglyceride and may have additive effect with cholesterol lowering drugs. Okra is a significant source of dietary fiber, Vitamin A, and potassium and Vitamin C. The effect of vitamin C on the blood levels of cholesterol and other blood fats has been documented in numerous clinical studies. More than 40 of these studies have been evaluated by Dr. Harrie Hemilä of the University of Helsinki, Finland. In patients with high initial cholesterol values (above 270 mg per deciliter), vitamin C supplementation was able to decrease cholesterol levels up to 20%. In contrast, patients with low and medium initial values of cholesterol showed only a slight cholesterol- lowering effect or the levels stayed the same.

The seeds of okra can be dried, roasted, ground and brewed as a substitute for coffee. This vegetable is rich in dietary fibers that help stabilize blood sugar. Okra can also help reduce cholesterol by binding along with bile acids which usually carry the toxins which the body should eliminate. The mucilaginous material in the fruit also facilitates the binding. This property is comparable to taking statins. As we know, statins are the drugs that doctors prescribe in cases of high cholesterol or high dangerous fat in the blood. This however works in our intestines and virtually eliminating the source of high fat that is already attached with bile salts.

The bottom line to all of this is that a good patient doesn't even need to visit a doctor to lower their own cholesterol. All they need to do is take responsibility for their health, start pursuing a lifestyle with healthy foods, outstanding nutrition, and frequent physical exercise