Having high cholesterol in pregnancy is a normal situation, as at this stage an increase of about 60% of total cholesterol is expected. Cholesterol levels start to rise at 16 weeks of gestation and by 30 weeks, it can be 50 or 60% higher than before pregnancy.
But if the pregnant woman already had high cholesterol levels before becoming pregnant, she should take extra care with her diet by adopting a special diet, eating more foods rich in fiber and vitamin C, such as strawberries, orange and acerola, avoiding all type of fat.
This control is very important because the very high cholesterol in pregnancy can be harmful to the baby, which can accumulate strands of fat inside his tiny blood vessels, which can favor the onset of heart disease in childhood, and considerably increase his risk of suffer from weight problems and heart attack in adulthood.
How to lower high cholesterol in pregnancy
To lower high cholesterol in pregnancy it is recommended to do some type of physical activity daily and follow a cholesterol diet. In this diet, avoid processed, industrialized or fatty foods, giving preference to the consumption of fruits, about 3 a day, vegetables twice a day, and whole grains, whenever possible.
During pregnancy, the use of cholesterol drugs is contraindicated by the risks they pose to the baby. But there are several home remedies prepared from fruits and medicinal plants that help to lower cholesterol. Some examples are grape juice to lower cholesterol and carrot juice for high cholesterol.
