Green Tea And Cholesterol 7 Important Ways To Protect Against Cholesterol Damage
Green tea cholesterol research has shown that green tea protects against high cholesterol in 7 different ways:
Blocks cholesterol: Green tea blocks intestinal absorption of cholesterol up to 89%.
Protects during high-fat diet: Green tea lowers cholesterol even on high-fat and high-carbohydrate diets. Animals on high fat and high sugar diets maintained normal cholesterol with daily green tea.
Lowers total cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol: Green tea lowers total cholesterol up to 11% for people with high cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol up to 16%.
Prevents artery blockages: EGCG from green tea prevents 73% of new blockages (atherosclerosis) from bad (LDL) cholesterol.
Stops cholesterol from going "bad": Green tea antioxidants help prevent damage that creates "bad" cholesterol.
Eliminates cholesterol: Green tea increases elimination of cholesterol in bile.
Protects your liver: Green tea protects your liver from damage from high cholesterol.
How much green tea?
Most research on green tea and cholesterol show that benefits become most noticeable with daily intake of 5 cups daily.
Benefits seem to level off at 10 cups daily (Tokunaga, 2002).
For people who find drinking 5 cups of green tea daily inconvenient, benefits are the same with green tea extract from supplements.
Knowledge is the important first step
Get your numbers.
Only a blood test can give you an accurate measurement for your blood cholesterol. Tests are available through any licensed health care practioner, and at some health fairs.
You can also check your blood cholesterol at home with these products:
Keep your cholesterol in a healthy range.
Just like your body weight, your cholesterol needs to be kept in a healthy range. While too much can be deadly, too little can also be dangerous. The range for healthy cholesterol numbers is currently around 160-240, or staying just below 200.
Give it time.
Remember, you have 60,000 miles (96,500 km) of blood vessels to clean out and keep repaired. Improving your whole body will take time. The best way to gain long-term health improvements is to improve your daily lifestyle choices.
Lifestyle choices count
While adding daily green tea for cholesterol protection is safe, convenient, and has multiple benefits for healthy people, it is only one part of a healthy plan to fight high cholesterol.
The FDA recommends daily soluble fiber from oats or barley in your diet as a heart healthy addition.
The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends dietary changes as a primary health strategy for preventing and treating high cholesterol. They recommend restricting high cholesterol foods, and high saturated fat food, as well as avoiding trans fat foods.
Also, a healthy plan to fight cholesterol can include increasing daily exercise, managing stress, stopping smoking
(best stop smoking program on the web here)
, and eliminating overweight or obesity.