Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

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Yesterday I mentioned that omega-6 fatty acids were high in vegetable oils, particularly corn, sunflower, safflower, soy, and cottonseed oils. These are used in the processing of fast foods. So there is another reason to cut back on fast foods.The imbalance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is believed to give rise to inflammatory responses. Omega-3 is considered anti-inflammatory whereas omega-6 is the opposite. Early man had a diet that balanced the two. But today we consume more omega-6 fatty acids then we do omega-3, thus our diets put us out of balance.Part of the atherosclerotic process (hardening of the arteries) is thought to be caused by an inflammatory response. So this imbalance can hasten heart disease as well as other diseases.In general, you can cut down on omega-6 levels by reducing your consumption of processed and fast foods and polyunsaturated vegetable oils (corn, sunflower, safflower, soy, and cottonseed, for example). At home, use extra-virgin olive oil for cooking and in salad dressings. Your body and mind will thank you.Olive oil positively affects HDL good cholesterol levels (raises them) and lowers LDL bad cholesterol levels. There are many questions about olive oil that is: what to buy, which one is better, etc. I’ll make that the subject of a future post.