8 foods that can reduce your cholesterol
Our modern lifestyles are very sedentary and add to that our love for unhealthy food is a sure recipe for high cholesterol. It's never too late to sit up and do something about it! Usually, doctors may advise you to start by altering your diet if you have high cholesterol. Dietary changes can assist patients with high cholesterol levels lower their cholesterol levels. According to Emily Schmidt, RDN, a registered dietitian with the Mayo Clinic, food will be the first line of treatment for you.
High cholesterol over time can result in a variety of health issues, such as heart attacks and strokes. If the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood becomes too high, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), often known as "bad" cholesterol, can build up in the walls of your arteries and cause plaque. If one of these plaques ruptures, a blood clot may form, blocking blood flow and causing a heart attack or stroke.
The following 8 foods are excellent sources of unsaturated fat or fiber (or both). However, these are merely recommendations and are not presented in any specific order. The majority of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are excellent sources of fiber. Additionally, the majority of nuts, seeds, and the oils derived from them offer mono- or polyunsaturated fats.
- Oats:
Beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber found in abundance in oats, can bind cholesterol that is circulated in the blood. Oats make sense to eat frequently if you want to lower your cholesterol levels because this binding makes it easier for the body to eliminate cholesterol.
- Beans:
Your health will benefit greatly from including beans in your diet in several ways. The first is that beans can be substituted for foods that have a lot of saturated fat because they are a rich source of protein. Zumpano asserts that beans are a fantastic alternative to meat. Second, beans have a lot of soluble fiber, which can lower LDL levels.
Add beans to soups, salads, or burritos to increase the number of beans in your diet. An alternative to a beef burger is a vegetable patty made of black beans.
- Vegetables:
A heart-healthy diet must contain plenty of vegetables.
They are low in calories and high in fiber and antioxidants, all of which are essential for preserving a healthy weight.
Pectin, a soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol and is present in apples and oranges, is present in several plants in particularly high concentrations (21Trusted Source).
The veggies okra, eggplant, carrots, and potatoes are also high in pectin.
Additionally, a variety of plant components found in vegetables provide several health advantages, such as protection against heart disease.
- Nuts:
Nuts are a great source of soluble fiber, unsaturated fats, and protein. They discourage high LDL cholesterol levels when used in favor of animal products that contain saturated fats, and their soluble fiber may aid in LDL reduction. There is proof that nuts can reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
Because nuts are so high in calories, you should keep serving sizes to no more than one ounce, and make sure the type you choose has no salt or sugar added. You may incorporate them into your diet by having a handful of them as a snack, adding them as a salad garnish, or using nut jars of butter in sandwiches or smoothies.
- Barley:
Although some people are unfamiliar with cooking with barley, this whole grain includes the same kind of soluble fiber as oats, making it a very healthy grain choice. Therefore, it is not surprising that barley has been linked in numerous studies to benefits for decreasing cholesterol. The type of pearled barley that is most frequently found in stores has undergone minimum processing and still primarily consists of bran and endosperm. Try hulled or no hull barley, two separate types of whole grain, for even higher levels of fiber (but longer cooking times).
- Brown Rice:
Brown rice is rice that has just had the outermost husk removed during the milling process, not the entire processing. Because the lowest layer of bran of this rice is still there, it provides a good source of fiber in addition to essential vitamins and minerals.
- Apple:
Numerous studies from the past few decades have suggested that polyphenols, antioxidants present in apples and apple juice, may help prevent LDL, or "bad," cholesterol, from being oxidized. The development of arterial plaque is brought on by the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. In terms of decreasing cholesterol, apples, and oats are both excellent sources of soluble fiber. One little apple contains one gram of soluble fiber if you're keeping track. Not a fan of apples? There are equivalent amounts in many fruits: One cup of strawberries, one medium grapefruit, one large pear, three prunes, and two dried figs.
- Garlic:
Garlic is a key player in controlling cholesterol levels thanks to its abundance of antioxidants that contain sulfur. Studies have indicated that consuming fresh garlic regularly can help raise levels of the "good" or HDL cholesterol in addition to lowering LDL cholesterol levels.
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