Cholesterol is a sticky component, which binds with the protein - lipoprotein. Cholesterol is essential for the body, which is essential for maintenance of the cell walls, production of bile acids; synthesize vitamin D and production of some hormones.

Lipoprotein binds the cholesterol and carries it through the blood. Cholesterol does not mix with the bloodstream. Blood is water based while cholesterol is oil based, so they separate. Excess cholesterol gets deposited on the artery walls leading to lifestyle disease. The problems are not life-threatening at the start but may prove to be fatal if not lowered.

Surprisingly, the dangers of elevated cholesterol level may last from weeks to several years. Cholesterol-related problems occur due to hardening of fat in the arteries. Deposition of fat in cardiac blood vessels transform into hardened plaques resulting in Chest Pain (Angina) or even heart attack. Narrowing of arteries in the brain can also lead strokes.

You must have wondered how long does it take to lower cholesterol? Actually, there is no the definite time, however, exercise regularly and eating the proper diet with less trans-fat, sugar, sodium, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, all these factors could greatly reduce your waiting period.

Factors That May Affect the Processes to Lower Cholesterol

1. The best diet

• Food with healthier fat should constitute your menu

Saturated fats raise the amount of "LDL” while lowering the good "HDL”. We need foods containing fat, but of healthier variety. Unsaturated fats are healthier than saturated fats. 25-30 % is the recommended quantity of fat in total calorie intake per day. Cardiologists recommend that only 7% of calories intake per day should come from saturated fats. The rest fat ought to be unsaturated. The reason is that the saturated fats increase LDL (low-density lipoprotein) in blood. LDL deposits fat in arteries, which starts clogging.

Canola and olive oils have a high content of healthy or unsaturated fats. Use these instead of frying in butter. Have Lean meat and reduce red meat. Avoid Nuts. Try skimmed milk instead of full-fat dairy milk.

• Eat foods rich in omega three fatty acids regularly

Saturated fat increases the bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. Foods rich in omega three fatty acids do the opposite. It raises the good cholesterol or HDL level. Sea fishes like Salmon, tuna, and Mackerel, which contain omega three fatty acids, raise HDL level and guards you against heart attacks by reducing blood clots and internal inflammation.

• Foods high in soluble fiber reduce cholesterol absorption

Foods with a high percentage of soluble fiber push the cholesterol down through the digestive system. This prevents proper absorption of the cholesterol in the bloodstream. In the absence of these high soluble fiber foods, the cholesterol absorbed via the digestive tract would have traveled to the heart. Full grains like oatmeal and oat barns are available everywhere and contain soluble fiber. Fruits like apples, oranges, bananas, prunes, pears are rich in fibrous content. Underground crops such as kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils contain a lot of fiber too.

• Food with added plant sterols, lower cholesterol

One should have a diet containing a good amount of vegetables and fruits. This type of diet generally contains cholesterol-lowering compounds known as sterols, which is also called plant sterols. They work in the same fashion as the soluble fibers.

2. Exercise lowers cholesterol

You must have wondered how long does it take to lower cholesterol. Perform regular exercise, and your cholesterol levels will dip in six months.

• Run or jog daily

Do either (Run or Jog), and it produces a miracle as far as the HDL level is concerned. Duke University Medical Centre in 2002 observed that people who exercise tend to have bigger and fluffier cholesterol carriers whose numbers are also more. This change in the shape of cholesterol carriers results in fewer chances of cholesterol being deposited in our arteries. Your triglyceride level will also come down with running or jogging.

A jog at a leisurely but steady pace for a few blocks is good enough. It will also result in more cardiovascular activities, which will lead to better quality of cholesterol carriers and less clogged, broader arteries.

• Lift a few weights for lowering LDL

Running or jogging raises HDL levels. On the other hand, lifting weights, at any age, reduces the LDL levels. The lifting of weights is known as resistance training. With jogging, they together reduce LDL and improve cardiovascular health. Resistance training like lifting weights is a good physical remedy for high cholesterol. Weightlifting sessions can quickly dispose of LDL from the bloodstream.

• Yoga at better levels

European journal of Preventive Cardiology has published a study review where they have claimed that Yoga reduced LDL, increased HDL and reduced blood pressure. The researchers of the Indian Heart Journal also corroborated this fact. The participants practiced Yoga for an hour every day.

The exercises mentioned above take a couple of months barely to show results if done regularly every day. This answers your query as to how long does it take to lower cholesterol without medicine

With a combination of the diet and exercises discussed here, be pleasantly surprised by how quickly cholesterol levels change for the better.

Things to Avoid When You Are Suffering from High Cholesterol

• Substitute refined vegetable oil with something better

During refining, the vegetable oils are treated by bleaching, deodorizing and harmful solvent hexane. This process robs the oil of its vitamins and phytonutrients. Most of them have Trans-fats. They are hydrogenated to stay semi-solid at room temperatures. You can substitute these refined products with pure virgin olive oil or coconut oil. It will be an important step in your cholesterol control.

• A big NO to deep fried foods

Deep fried foods change their fat structure for worse; the fat in the oil used has a lower melting point. It breaks down under repeated frying. The fat structure changes into more toxic chemical, which is extremely harmful to your health. Harmful trans-fat forms, which remain in the snacks fried in this oil. This Trans-fat reduces good HDL and increases bad LDL level in our blood.

• Soft drinks and soda can make you sugary

An average can of soda or soft drink contains up to ten spoonfuls of sugar. Soft drinks also contain artificial sweetener, which is cacogenic.

• Ice creams are not yummy but sugary

Ice cream contains an entire day's cholesterol in that small cup. Look at the sugar and preservatives percentage figures on that yummy cone! It is simply not as sweet.

How long does it take to lower cholesterol? If you exercise and simultaneously follow a strict diet regimen of fruits, vegetables, and oil that lower LDL, it would take around 3-6 months. Avoid packaged fried items such as French fries and crackers. These packaged fried items have a higher percentage of trans-fat. Also, distance yourself from chocolates and dairy products containing saturated fats to live a healthy and prosperous life. To explore more on the subject, surf the video below.