Pop quiz: Do you know your cholesterol score?
The topic of cholesterol is no longer just reserved for your parents. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that adults as young as 20 years old are experiencing elevated cholesterol levels.
Yup, it’s time to make sure you know your cholesterol and if needed, how to lower it.
What is Cholesterol and Why Do We Care?
Imagine a waxy, fat-like substance in your blood. (Strange visual, we know.) That, my fiber friend, is cholesterol in your blood.
Cholesterol flows through the blood and attaches to proteins called lipoproteins. These come in two types: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) known as the "bad" cholesterol, and the high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” kind.
The “bad” LDLs transport cholesterol particles throughout your body where they can build up in the walls of your arteries, making your passageways hard and narrow. In contrast to the “good” HDLs, which pick up excess cholesterol and take it to your liver where it is broken down and passed out of the body as a waste product (aka poop).
When you have high cholesterol there are an elevated number of fatty deposits in yourblood vessels; as mentioned these can build up making it difficult for blood to flow through your arteries. Having a high level of “bad” LDL cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease.
OK, I get the bad, tell me more about good cholesterol, please!
Cholesterol can help build healthy cells and also helps with Vitamin D, hormone and enzyme production.
HBO / Via media.giphy.com
It’s important to remember that cholesterol is just one aspect of your health, as diet and physical activity are also important. The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends 60 to 150 minutes of elevated activity per week. A brisk daily walk for 30 minutes a day can raise your HDL level and lower your LDL. Consider consulting your doctor regarding any changes to your diet and lifestyle.
If you have high levels of bad cholesterol, what do you do? You guessed it, your old trusted friend fiber.
Psyllium Husk Is Amazing
Pronounced as“si-lee-um”, psyllium is a soluble fiber derived from the seeds of the awesome medicinal plant called Plantago ovata, which you may never have heard of. Plantago Ovata is an excellent source of psyllium husks which are in turn a great source of fiber.
As you know from all our blog posts, fiber has amazing health benefits like improving regularity, aiding weight management, helping control blood sugar levels, and aiding in lowering your cholesterol. On top of all that, it makes you glow from the inside too!
WEtv / Via media.giphy.com
How Does Psyllium Husk Lower Cholesterol?
Now that you know that psyllium husks are rich in fiber, let us introduce you to the two kinds of fiber: soluble and Insoluble, which are both good for your health.
Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water but instead helps food pass through the digestive system. Soluble fiber, on the other hand, dissolves in water, lowering glucose levels as well as reducing cholesterol. Psyllium husk is a soluble fiber.
Imagine psyllium as a magnet in the gut. When ingested in the small intestine,the psyllium husk fiber takes the particles of cholesterol, binds them together, and prevents them from entering your bloodstream. Instead, this lovely fiber source picks up these cholesterol particles and takes them out of the body to your toilet bowl (sweet relief!)
How Do I Get More Fiber and How Much ?
So how do I get more fiber? Glad you asked.
There are plenty of foods that are sources of high fiber like avocados, apples, pears, bananas, broccoli, and artichokes.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t get the recommended daily fiber needed for our bodies. The daily goal is at least 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men, per day.
Don't Worry, There’s Bonny
Bonny is a daily fiber supplement that provides added fiber when you can’t hit your fiber goals from diet alone.
Bonny is thoughtfully formulated with natural psyllium husk and prebiotic inulin, most fiber supplements only have one source of fiber. Check out our fabulous flavors like Mixed Berries here.
As always, we wish you pleasant poops.
