What Everyone Should Know About Lowering Cholesterol Through Diet. Most people think of cholesterol as a bad thing, but the truth is that there are actually two types. There is good cholesterol (HDL) and there is bad cholesterol (LDL). You will know that you have too much LDL if plaque builds up in your arteries.
This results in blockage of blood flow in your arteries as the opening gets smaller. Your high blood cholesterol is not the result of eating cholesterol. The presence of saturated fat and tran fat is the cause of high cholesterol. Frequent exercise and eating fibrous and unsaturated foods will lower your cholesterol levels.
b. What do cholesterol numbers mean?
On average, men and women usually need to have their cholesterol levels checked every five years. Every time you check your cholesterol, it gives you four results - total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. You will likely need more exercise and diet changes if you go above or below healthy levels.
Total cholesterol - less than 200 mg/dl (5.2 mmol/l)
LDL cholesterol - less than 100 mg/dl (2.6 mmol/l)
HDL cholesterol - over 40 mg/dl (1.0 mmol/l)
Triglycerides - less than 150 mg/dl (1.7 mmol/l)
c. Heart protection and vitamin E
The best way to get vitamin E is to eat nuts, leafy vegetables, and plenty of vegetable oils. This helps reduce the risk of heart disease, but does not prevent attacks.
d. Five Great Foods to Lower Cholesterol
1. Oatmeal and oat bran: These are high in soluble fiber, which can lower LDL levels.
2. Fish. Fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which lower LDL levels and increase HDL levels.
3. Nuts: Not only are nuts rich in fiber, but they also contain healthy fats that are essential for LDL control.
4. Plant Sterols: These are found in foods such as margarine, salad dressings, orange juice, and functional cookies. 2 grams per day will lower LDL levels by 10-15%.
5. Soy: This popular meat substitute can lower LDL levels by up to 3%.
e. Plant Sterols and Their Benefits
Plant sterols are found in products such as Benecol spread, muesli bars, VitaTops and skim milk. To help your heart, you should eat plenty of plant sterol foods and cut out saturated fat foods. You should be aware that this will not balance a diet rich in saturated fats. To control your cholesterol levels, you still need to eat right and exercise often.
What are the top 5 foods for lowering cholesterol?
Five foods that lower cholesterol
Oats. Making oatmeal or an oat-based cold cereal like Cheerios your morning option is a simple approach to start decreasing your cholesterol.
Beans. Particularly abundant in soluble fibre are beans.
Nuts.
foods that have been sterol- and stanol-fortified.
fatty seafood
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