Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol

With about half of all American adults believed to have high or borderline-high cholesterol levels, therapies to lower blood lipid levels--like the use of statin medications--are critical, physicians say. But there are several other simple and inexpensive steps you can take at home to cut cholesterol and improve your heart health, according to the National Cholesterol Education Program's Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes guidelines. 1) Reduce saturated fat intake to no more than 7% of your total daily calories. 2) Cut cholesterol consumption to less than 200 milligrams a day. 3) Work toward reaching and maintaining your ideal weight. 4) Add five to 10 grams of soluble fiber to your daily diet. 5) Add two grams of plant stanols and sterols, which help block cholesterol absorption, to your diet each day. 6) Exercise regularly.