Keeping your cholesterol levels in check is pivotal to good health, as high cholesterol can put you at risk for suffering a stroke or heart attack. Conventional treatments usually involve your doctor prescribing a statin drug. Statin drugs, however, have been proven to have serious side-effects that include heart failure, muscle weakness, loss of memory, neuropathy and depression. There are natural remedies that are a lot safer and just as effective for removing cholesterol.

Chow down on grapes. Their skins have a compound that aids in ridding your body of “bad” cholesterol. Try to eat organic grapes, if possible, to avoid pesticides. You might similarly drink unsweetened grape juice to achieve the same benefits.

Drink a cup of cinnamon and trikatu tea two times each day. These spices are commonly used to lower cholesterol in Ayurvedic medicine. After boiling a cup of water, add a teaspoon of each into it and allow it to cool slightly before sipping. The taste may be too bitter for you to bear. To remedy this, add a little molasses or organic honey.

Take some artichoke leaf extract. It contains cynarin, a compound that has been shown, in some studies, to remove cholesterol from your body. It can be found in health food stores.

Consider hawthorn berry. It is a herb that has been traditionally utilized in Chinese medicine for getting rid of high cholesterol. You can find it in health food stores in supplement form, in tea form or as a liquid extract.

Load up on fiber. Increasing the amount of fiber in your diet can assist you in removing high cholesterol. Examples of fiber-rich foods you can enjoy are apricots, blueberries, oranges, apples, pears, berries, granola, almonds, brown rice, potatoes (skin included), beans and broccoli.

Enjoy more garlic. It has the compound allicin, well known in holistic health circles for its ability to lower cholesterol. Add garlic to your daily diet by slicing up and eating a clove or two a day. If you don’t like the strong taste (or smell), you can find garlic supplements at any health food store.

Say “farewell” to those cigarettes. Giving up that nasty habit will help to get your cholesterol levels healthier. Speak to your doctor and ask him to help you get into an effective smoking cessation program.

Work on losing weight. If you are obese, your chances of having elevated cholesterol levels are high. Go on a well-balanced weight loss plan with realistic goals that will help you to get rid of all that unhealthy, excess poundage and assist you with lowering cholesterol. Stay away from or limit your consumption of foods that are fried, greasy, fatty, processed, refined or salty.

Take 30 minutes out of your day to do some exercise. Not only is it good for keeping you in decent shape, but it also has the perk of aiding you in lowering your cholesterol. Brisk walking, water aerobics, swimming, yoga and Tai Chi are all good forms of exercise you can do