Normal Levels of cholesterol.

Normal levels of cholesterol, need to be found in LDL, HDL, total cholesterol and cholesterol ratios. And the cholesterol numbers are measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl).

Now, you'd have to know, that to find out what are your cholesterol levels, you need to have a blood test. You can check with your doctor about this.

After your blood test do not get too much alarmed if your total cholesterol level is higher than normal. You need to understand the correlation of total cholesterol, LDL and HDL to the cholesterol ratio, which is explained below.

• Total normal levels of cholesterol should be under 200. 200 to 239 is borderline high; and 240 and higher is considered high.

• LDL normal levels of cholesterol, or "bad" cholesterol, should be under 130. If it's between 160 and 189, it's high, and if it's 190 or more, it's very high.

• HDL normal levels of cholesterol, should be over 40, and the higher, the better, because it helps protect against clogging of the arteries. The best would be to have it at about 60.

• Triglycerides, another fatty substance that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, are too high if they're over 150.

• The normal levels of cholesterol ratio.

  Probably the most importand factor for normal levels of cholesterol is the cholesterol ratio. In Protein Power, Michael and Mary Eades write that this ratio of HDL to LDL and total cholesterol, is actually more important then total cholesterol in predicting heart attack, heart disease, stroke, arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular diseases.

  These numbers help tell us whether more cholesterol is being stored in our cells or else is being broken down and removed from our body. That's why you can see heart attacks in people that have low total cholesterol levels. Their HDL is low as well, and as a result their ratio is high.

  To determine these ratios for yourself, simply divide your total cholesterol and LDL numbers by your HDL number.

  The normal levels of cholesterol ratios for total cholesterol to HDL should be below 4 as a general rule for both men and women. However a very good ratio is 3.5, excellent is 3.0 and fantastic is 2.6.

  If you can get your ratio down between 2.4 and 2.8, you can actually experience a reversal of heart disease.

  Whereas the normal levels of cholesterol ratios of LDL to HDL should be less than 2.5. And remember that this is the best indicator of risk of heart disease and stroke.

Reducing the amount of fats, especially saturated fats, in your diet may have an effect in reducing your blood cholesterol. Some people are able to control their cholesterol levels without any other help. But for many, diet alone will have little effect.

Certainly you can use drugs to lower cholesterol. They are effective but their side effects are very undesirable at the least, and death causing at the worst. (That's why Bayer withdrew "voluntarily" Baycol, since there were a number of deaths due to usage of Baycol)

You need to use clinically proven supplements, that have lowered cholesterol. For example, policosanol which is a safe and natural extract from sugar cane wax, has been clinically proven to lower cholesterol by at least 14 percent.

Policosanol has been the subject of numerous clinical trials involving over 30,000 people and has been used by millions in other countries since 1993.

Policosanol works by helping the liver control its production and breakdown of cholesterol, as well as being a powerful antioxidant, preventing LDL oxidation.

Clinical studies show that policosanol is as effective as prescription drugs in lowering cholesterol levels, without their dangerous side effects.

See the tables below for specific trials comparing policosanol, with 3 different cholesterol lowering drugs.

And, what's more policosanol costs much cheaper than cholesterol lowering drugs. You can find it for less than US $30. Compare this with the price of cholesterol drugs below.

Finally, it wouldn't be fair if I did not let you know where to find a policosanol supplement to lower your cholesterol. For more information on policosanol and how it can lower your higher than normal levels of cholesterol, click here.