The main contributing factor to heart disease is hight cholesterol. There are several factors that possibly contribute to high cholesterol. High cholesterol is quite common with over 26 million Americans affected by this condition.

High cholesterol is so serious that it is responsible for 70% of all heart disease. It is also a leading killer of men and women that are over the age of 45. It is also a leading cause of death worldwide.

Having high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) will form plaque in the arteries. The result of this is atherosclerosis. It has been proven that lifestyle changes can prevent or lower high cholesterol.

Lifestyle changes that include eating a diet low in saturated fat, increased physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight will help to lower high cholesterol. A diet that is high in fiber helps to lower high cholesterol levels.

A diet that consists of high fiber foods include whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruit. Diets with high fiber will keep your digestive tract regular, satisfy you and provide good nutrition. A high fiber diet will block cholesterol from being absorbed into the intestinal tract. The bad cholesterol will be expelled with normal excretion.

There are good reasons to naturally lower your cholesterol.. The most common drugs used are statin drugs and these have serious side effects. Statin drugs are very effective and work a relatively short period of time. The down side is that statin drugs produce very harmful side effects.

Statin drugs can and do cause serious liver damage. People that use these drugs require a routine blood test every two months.

Statin drugs cause muscle disease, muscle pain and a breakdown of muscles. It causes weakness and creates problems with walking.

It also causes memory loss and lack of clarity. It can cause confusion and possibly amnesia. Statin drugs can be reponsible for sexual dysfunction and irritability.

The other side effects caused by statin drugs include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, fever, sleeplessness and headaches.

This group of drugs are also responsible for depleting essential nutrients important for the heart and brain.

Fortunately, it is quite possible to lower your cholesterol naturally. This can be accomplished without harmful side effects.

Here are some steps that you can take:

1/ Exercise for between 30 minutes and an hour each day. This can be extremely effective. A consistent exercise program will help to increase good cholesterol (HDL). It will help to reduce the harmful cholesterol (LDL). The bottom line is that exercise helps to naturally lower bad cholesterol without the harmful side effects.

2/ Change the way that you eat.

It is important to realize that getting high cholesterol does not occur in a vacuum. The biggest contributing factors are what we eat and our lack of activity. These factors are even greater than heredity. Heredity is a factor only to the point that our parents pass their lifestyles onto us.

It is important to have a diet high in fiber. This type of diet includes whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruit. The fiber from these foods bind with the cholesterol and removes it from our system.

3/ Reduce or avoid foods rich in fat. This includes red meat and dairy.

4/ Natural herbal products.

Using natural herbal supplements can be very helpful in lowering our high cholesterol. Research shows that natural herbal supplements help to lower bad cholesterol.

Ancient Chinese medicine incorporates the use of herbs. Traditional Chinese therapy produces very good results for lowering high cholesterol. Thousands of years of Chinese medicine have developed herbal treatments that are natural, safe and effective.

There are some big differences between conventional western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. Unlike conventional medicine, the herbs used by the Chinese are very mild. You do not experience any serious side effects. Because they are so mild, it appears as if they take months to work.

The visible results may take months but the herbs begin work immediately. These mild herbs do not shock the body. They produce change that is gradual and steady. The added benefit is that Chinese herbs will actually improve liver function. This is detectable within a couple of months. A simple blood test will verify this.

Chinese herbal treatments have been around for centuries. If, however, you are taking medication or are under a physicians care, please consult with your doctor first.