{"id":36591,"date":"2026-07-15T07:00:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T07:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=36591"},"modified":"2026-07-16T15:34:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T15:34:25","slug":"how-to-lower-your-cholesterol-without-medication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/how-to-lower-your-cholesterol-without-medication\/","title":{"rendered":"How to lower your cholesterol without medication","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p>High cholesterol is often associated with older adults, but it can happen to anyone. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jacc.org\/doi\/10.1016\/j.jacc.2021.08.065\">A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology<\/a> found that approximately 27 percent of U.S. adults ages 18 to 39 had high or borderline-high cholesterol.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHigh cholesterol doesn&#8217;t have noticeable symptoms, but it causes damage to the cardiovascular system behind the scenes,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/provider\/darin-eckert\/\">Darin Eckert, MD, a family medicine doctor<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/location\/rockwood-clinic-quail-run\/\">MultiCare Rockwood Clinic &#8211; Quail Run<\/a>. \u201cOver time, high cholesterol leads to narrowing of the arteries, raising your risk for heart attacks and strokes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Find out what you can do, aside from taking medication, to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and support your long-term health.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What is cholesterol?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Cholesterol is a fat that our bodies produce naturally. We also get cholesterol from some foods, like meat, eggs and dairy products.<\/p>\n<p>While it may get a bad rap, cholesterol is critical to our cell health. It also supports many bodily functions, from digestion to hormone production to the functioning of our immune system.<\/p>\n<p>Although cholesterol itself is not inherently good or bad, it\u2019s sometimes referred to that way.<\/p>\n<p>Particles called lipoproteins carry cholesterol through our bloodstream. The type of lipoprotein transporting the cholesterol helps determine whether we think of it as helpful or harmful.<\/p>\n<p><strong>High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol<\/strong>. This is often referred to as the \u201cgood\u201d type of cholesterol. These lipoproteins transport excess cholesterol away from the arteries to the liver, where it can be eliminated, reducing the risk of heart disease. An HDL level of 60 or higher can help protect the heart.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol<\/strong>. LDL cholesterol is considered the \u201cbad\u201d type of cholesterol. These lipoproteins carry cholesterol from the liver to the cells in our body. When LDL cholesterol levels are elevated, it causes plaque to form in the arteries. In general, LDL cholesterol should be less than 100.<\/p>\n<p>Your doctor or other health care provider can check your cholesterol levels through a simple blood test called a lipid panel. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/health-topics\/cholesterol\/how-to-get-your-cholesterol-tested\">American Heart Association<\/a> recommends most healthy adults over 20 should have their cholesterol checked every four to six years. If you are over 40 or have risk factors for high cholesterol, you may need to have it checked more frequently.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to lower your cholesterol<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If your cholesterol level is borderline high or mildly high, you may be able to lower it without medication. Even if you have high cholesterol and are on medication, making the following lifestyle changes can support your mental and physical well-being.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen it comes to diet and exercise, I like to tell people, \u00a0\u2018Don&#8217;t let perfection get in the way of progress,\u2019\u201d Dr. Eckert says. \u201cThis means doing the best you can \u2014 making small sustainable changes to your lifestyle over time that support healthy cholesterol levels.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Eat more fiber<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Soluble fiber (dissolves in water) helps lower the amount of LDL or \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol in your body by absorbing it.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/why-fiber-matters-simple-ways-to-boost-your-intake\/\">Fiber also benefits your health in other way<\/a>s \u2014 reducing inflammation, regulating blood sugar and supporting regular bowel movements. But <a href=\"https:\/\/ific.org\/media\/fibers-cultural-moment-exposes-americas-whole-grain-problem\/\">less than 10 percent of U.S. women and only 3 percent of men<\/a> get enough fiber in their diet.<\/p>\n<p>Foods high in soluble fiber include <strong>oats and oatmeal, barley, nuts, beans, lentils, apples, citrus fruits, berries, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Fiber intake recommendations vary by age and sex. On average, adults should consume between 25-38 grams of fiber daily, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatright.org\/health\/essential-nutrients\/carbohydrates\/fiber\">Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe lead busy lives, so it can be challenging to eat enough fiber,\u201d Dr. Eckert shares. \u201cI recommend people try their best to get about 30 grams a day by focusing on fiber-rich foods. If after a three-month period you&#8217;re not able to hit that target or your cholesterol doesn&#8217;t go down, then we can consider adding a fiber supplement to your diet.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>High cholesterol is often associated with older adults, but it can happen to anyone. A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that approximately 27 percent of U.S. adults ages 18 to 39 had high or borderline-high cholesterol. \u201cHigh cholesterol doesn&#8217;t have noticeable symptoms, but it causes damage to the cardiovascular [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":367,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[127,63,99],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healthy-living","category-heart-health","category-primary-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.1 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to lower your cholesterol without medication - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Over time, high cholesterol can increase your risk for heart attacks and strokes. Find out what you can do to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/how-to-lower-your-cholesterol-without-medication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to lower your cholesterol without medication - MultiCare Vitals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Over time, high cholesterol can increase your risk for heart attacks and strokes. 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