How to Improve Cholesterol Results Fast

High cholesterol can lead to serious illnesses including stroke and heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, these two conditions are among the top three killers in the United States. Heart disease is number one. A healthy level of cholesterol should be below 200 milligrams per deciliter of blood. Half of adults in America have levels that are over this amount. There are ways to improve high cholesterol, and often the results will be fairly quick.

• 1
  Eat more soluble fiber to lower cholesterol levels. fruit image by Leonie Pratt from Fotolia.com

  Add foods to your diet that are high in soluble fiber. High-fiber foods include fruits, vegetables, legumes and oats. Replace white bread with wheat bread and replace white rice and white pasta with brown rice and whole-wheat pasta.

• 2
  Choose foods and drinks that are low in saturated fat. Container of milk. Plastic milk bottle image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com

  Limit your consumption of saturated fat. Replace whole milk with 2 percent or skim. Choose low-fat options for cheese, ice cream and butter. Choose lean meats such as turkey or chicken instead of high-fat meats including ground beef, sausage, bacon or pepperoni.

• 3

  Cut out or reduce your consumption of trans fat. Trans fats are found in foods such as stick margarine, most baked goods that are commercially made and fast-food fries.

• 4
  Lower cholesterol by losing excess weight. loss weight image by gajatz from Fotolia.com

  Lose weight to help lower high cholesterol. Excess weight can have adverse affects on the circulation of the blood. Once the weight is lost, your cholesterol levels should improve.

• 5
  Lower cholesterol levels by exercising. black woman in gym image by Susan Rae Tannenbaum from Fotolia.com

  Start an exercise routine. Exercise is one of the faster ways to lower your cholesterol levels. Combine strength-training exercises with cardiovascular activity to improve your results.