Treatment for High Cholesterol
Some corrective measures can help control the cholesterol levels in most people:
Diet
A low-fat, low-cholesterol diet helps a great deal in this direction. This means keeping the total fat consumption of saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats to less than 30% of your daily intake of calories. Remember to keep the cholesterol intake to lesser than 300 milligrams per day. Saturated fats contained in foods like butter, whole milk, hydrogenated oils and chocolate should comprise no more than 1/3rd of the total fat consumption. Using skimmed milk and including fish in the diet is beneficial. Consumption of a wide variety of vegetables, pasta, grains and fruit is another effective method. Checking the food labels and choosing low cholesterol foods also helps keep the intake lower.
Exercise
Exercise also can help reduce body weight, which, in turn, can help reduce cholesterol.
Smoking and Alcohol
Avoiding alcohol and smoking can help to reduce cholesterol levels.
Medicines
Despite lifestyle modifications, if a person’s cholesterol is not within the desired level then doctors can prescribe cholesterol-lowering medicines like statins, fibric acid derivatives, bile acid resins or niacin.
