You don't hear much about foods that lower cholesterol.
When US food manufacturers do mention the results of studies concerning the cholesterol-reducing ability of things like whole grain oats and other plant-foods, the FDA gets upset.
Some people believe that the FDA is run by the pharmaceutical companies.
They also believe that the only goal of pharmaceutical companies is to make money.
Some of the best-selling pharmaceuticals on the market are statin drugs.
If you were in business to make money selling cholesterol-lowering drugs to people, would you tell them that simple inexpensive food could do the same thing? The FDA does not allow supplement manufacturers or food manufacturers to make claims concerning the health benefits of their products, unless the claims are verified.
There are only a few verified health claims.
Luckily, the FDA cannot completely control the individual's access to information.
These days, because of the internet, people from around the world can share their success stories and talk about their adverse reactions to drugs of all kinds.
Whether you need to lose weight, balance your HDL-LDL levels, reduce your blood sugar levels or reduce your blood pressure, taking supplements, drinking certain beverages or eating foods that lower cholesterol will help.
Opinions vary about the healthiest diets.
But, if you do just a little bit of research, you will start to see certain patterns.
Simple carbohydrates, which include refined grains like white rice and most kinds of bread, cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin levels.
A diet high in simple carbohydrates can lead to adult-onset or type II diabetes, which is accompanied by an increased risk of heart disease, among other illnesses.
As it turns out, insulin stimulates the production of cholesterol in the liver.
So, not only are there foods that lower cholesterol levels, there are some that raise blood levels, even though the food might not contain any fat or cholesterol at all.
High blood sugar and insulin levels play a role in obesity, which is accompanied by an increased risk of heart disease.
The metabolic syndrome is fairly common and consists of health problems including obesity, type II diabetes and high blood pressure.
Often high LDL levels are present too.
Eating protein-rich foods causes decreased production of LDL particles by the liver.
One of the protein-rich foods that lower cholesterol is soy, which also contains phytosterols.
Phytosterols, including beta-sitosterol, have been shown to reduce the re-absorption of cholesterols through the intestinal walls and back into the bloodstream.
Rice bran oil, which can be used for cooking and is found in some of the better dietary supplements, is another food containing beta-sitosterol.
Rice bran oil stimulates the excretion of cholesterol-particles from the body.
Green and black teas contain antioxidants that research indicates is beneficial for type II diabetes and weight loss.
The antioxidants have also been shown to lower LDL levels and increase HDL levels.
If you cannot include all of the foods that lower cholesterol in your daily diet, that's okay; you can always take a supplement that contains the extracts.
You might be amazed to learn of all the ways to lower cholesterol without taking possibly harmful drugs.
Visit my website to discover more helpful information on lowering your cholesterol the natural way.