Lower Cholesterol: Stop Smoking And Drinking Alcohol

Stop Smoking And Drinking Alcohol To Lower Cholesterol

Stop smoking and drinking alcohol to positively affect cholesterol levels, and lower cholesterol levels overall.

Studies have shown that stopping smoking can increase good HDL cholesterol levels by 10%. Raising HDL cholesterol is good because it controls the LDL cholesterol level by removing LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream. HDL cholesterol removes excess LDL cholesterol that it deposited in artery walls, helping to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Though stopping smoking increases HDL cholesterol, there is also an association with people gaining weight after stopping smoking because they tend to eat more food. So though stopping smoking increases HDL colesterol levels, excessive weight gain due to increased fat often leads to increased LDL cholesterol and overall increase in cholesterol levels.

Eating more food and calories doesn’t necessarily equate to fat gain and obesity, but it often does in this situation because people are not usually eating a whole-food plant-based diet, and they usually increase their intake of meat, dairy, and processed foods. The latter are filled with cholesterol and unhealthy fats and contribute to an increase in LDL cholesterol and overall cholesterol levels.

Alcohol’s Effect on Cholesterol

I hear a lot that drinking wine is good for you and raises HDL (good) cholesterol and has other beneficial aspects. Red wine might offer the greatest health benefit because it contains antioxidants that might protect artery walls. First of all these findings pertain to a glass of wine or beer, and do not pertain to hard liquor. Secondly, there are much better ways to raise HDL cholesterol and strengthen one’s health.

Though moderate consumption of wine or beer can have its benefits, excessive consumption of alcohol can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke, raise blood pressure, contribute to obesity, and increase the levels of triglycerides in the blood. The increase in triglycerides can lead to increased LDL cholesterol levels. Hard liquor is not beneficial to health, and though moderate drinking of wine or beer can be beneficial, moderate drinking can easily lead to excessive drinking.

Ways to Lower Cholesterol — 124

Tags: Cholesterol, immune system, lower cholesterol, nutrition, smoking