KEY POINTS
- Enough has already been written about the harmful effects of cholesterol.
- An important factor (although not the only one) that contributes to the accumulation of plaque in our arteries is high cholesterol levels.
- And the level of cholesterol in our blood is largely governed by the foods we eat.
The biggest contributor to heart disease is cholesterol-caused blockages in the blood vessels that make it difficult for the heart to function properly. Cholesterol is that light, waxy (sticky) substance that is produced by our lives. Our body needs some cholesterol, but not too much.
Famous American nutritionist Joy Bauer spoke to Today.com about foods that can help your heart, highlighting foods that can help lower cholesterol, including apples, lentils, and avocados. .
Joy Bauer says, “When we eat junk food diets that are high in saturated fat, trans fat, and sugar, our livers are forced to make too much cholesterol. This cholesterol then travels throughout the body, picking up all sorts of inflammatory substances and discharging all on the inner walls of our arteries in the form of plaque.
Joy says the good news is that you can eat foods that can help lower cholesterol.
How to modify your diet to lower cholesterol?
The Indian diet is well balanced and extremely palatable. Spices and additives like turmeric, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, etc. they only add to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory base. But during the preparation process, people often put a lot of oil, butter, sugar, or spices, which takes away from its goodness.
Changing the foods you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the array of fats floating around in your bloodstream. If you eat a low-cholesterol diet, you don’t have to worry about atherosclerosis clogging your arteries.
Add these foods to lower LDL cholesterol:
Different foods lower cholesterol in various ways. Some deliver soluble fiber, which binds to cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they enter circulation. Some give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol, Harvard experts say.
- apples: TO study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that eating two whole apples a day can lower blood cholesterol, which helps prevent heart attack or stroke. the study found that when participants ate two fresh apples a day they had lower blood cholesterol than when they drank apple juice. Clearly, the fiber in whole apples that one retains when the fruit is not squeezed is the key factor here, playing a promising role in promoting heart health. Apple skin contains a carbohydrate called pectin, buried in its skin. Pectin attaches to LDL cholesterol and drags it out of the body when the unabsorbed solids are expelled from the body. The pectin in apples, along with the other types of fiber, is a good food source for healthy bacteria in the human gut known as the microbiome, which has been linked to everything from weight loss to mental health. Apples, oranges, carrots, peaches, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits all contain this pectin, the type of soluble fiber that lowers LDL.
- Beans: Whether farm-fresh green or sun-dried, beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. It also takes the body a while to digest, which means you feel full longer after a meal. That’s one of the reasons beans are such a useful food for those of us trying to lose weight. You really are spoiled for choice when it comes to the various types of beans available: navy beans, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, blackeye beans are just a few of the types of beans and you can cook them in whatever way works best for you. your taste buds. Just be careful not to go overboard with fat and calories while chasing flavor.
- Okra: Also known as ladyfinger, bhindi, etc., okra seed pod can substantially lower LDL lipid levels, some studies claim. These two low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber. Science Direct reports on a study by researchers at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. In their quest to confirm Okra’s cholesterol-lowering properties, researchers administered okra seed oil to hypercholesterolemic rats. The researchers of this study published earlier this year in the journal Food Science and Technology said: “Okra seed oil plays a crucial role in maintaining the body’s lipid profile.” Okra pods contain a gel-like substance known as mucilage that may help the body excrete dangerous LDL cholesterol during bowel movements.
- Eggplant: Eggplant, aubergine, or aubergine is a species of plant in the nightshade family, nightshade. A case study conducted at the Faculdades de Ciências Médicas, UNICAMP, Campinas, in Portugal, aimed to study the effect of eggplant on endothelial-dependent relaxation and plasma lipids in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Thirteen male rabbits were randomly assigned to control (C), hypercholesterolemic (H), and eggplant (E) groups (n = 10 each). Rabbits H and E were fed a diet supplemented with cholesterol (0.5 percent) and coconut oil (10 percent) for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, rabbits in group E had significantly lower weight, plasma cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, and aortic cholesterol than group H (p < 0.05).
- Vegetable oils: There are two main types of fat (saturated and unsaturated), and we need a little of each. Eating a healthy balance of fats can help lower your cholesterol levels. Excessive consumption of saturated fats will raise cholesterol. How do you know which is good and which is the bad type of fat? heart.org says that saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature. Avoid consuming more than the recommended amount of fats derived from animals and from coconut products. Stay away from dairy products like cream, cheese, and whole milk and yogurt, butter, and other solid fats like ghee, lard, and hard margarine. Also bad for your heart are fatty and processed meats like sausage and bacon, coconut, and palm oil. Using liquid vegetable oils like canola, sunflower, safflower, and others instead of butter, shortening, or lard when cooking or at the table helps lower LDL. Unsaturated fats (different types of unsaturated fats known as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) are found in plant foods and oily fish, and are generally liquid at room temperature. That is why walnuts, avocados, sunflower seed oil, safflower, rapeseed, olive, peanut, walnut and corn oil, oily fish such as herring, sardines, mackerel, salmon and trout that contain omega 3 fats are good for you.
(Disclaimer: The tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or dietitian before beginning any fitness program or making changes to your diet..)
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