Cholesterol

Cholesterol is necessary for our bodies for it function properly. A lot of it is harmful to us in a way that it clogs the arteries with plaque and may cause buildup of pressure in the arteries, which may eventually result in a heart attack. Cholesterol has a soft, waxy texture that is found in the blood and in our cells. There are two forms of cholesterol in our bodies which are known as LDL or low density lipoproteins and HDL or high density proteins. Cholesterol is manufactured naturally by our liver and is responsible for the formation of cell membranes and hormones, creation of vitamin D, and formulation of bile acid.

Knowing that, what you need to do now is to figure out how to lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) in your body and increase the good cholesterol (HDL). The market offers a lot of products in the form of herbal supplements, tea, and man-made medicines in the form of pills. Here are some of those products that you may encounter.

Policosanol
Policosanol comes in a pure wax extract taken from sugar cane. Studies claim that this is so far the most effective man-made medication for reducing levels of LDL cholesterol as well as boosting HDL cholesterol in the body. So far, no side effects have been recorded in persons using this medication.

Green tea extract
Natural green tea extracts are a mix of various plants that have been known to reduce levels of bad cholesterol. Similar properties shown in using Policosanol have been noticed with the use of green tea. Aside from this notable property of green tea, it has also been known for many other cures for various health problems. It is a fact that natural alternatives have been rarely known to cause any side effects.

Niacin
Niacin is a man-made vitamin B, which is also sometimes known as nicotinic acid. This particular vitamin has been known to have very good effects in bringing LDL cholesterol down as well as remove fats in the body. The problem with this though is that it has a very serious side effect of increasing blood pressure, causing indigestion, diarrhea, and liver inflammation. A thing to watch out for is if another medicine called Statin has been prescribed separately for treatment of high blood pressure. If taken in combination with Niacin, very disastrous effects can happen as this has been known to cause fatalities.