Diet To Reduce High Cholesterol
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Diet To Reduce High Cholesterol
People with high cholesterol levels can reduce their numbers by following an improved diet. This situation usually calls for a low saturated fat diet to reduce high cholesterol levels and also to protect the heart from various diseases.
Individualized cholesterol diet is also recommended for higher success rate but it is also essential to follow some of the basic principles to come up with a cholesterol-lowering diet. One of the basics is to eat foods that are high in soluble fiber and also to eat more vegetables and fruits.
It is also advisable to consult with a nutritionist or dietician about the low cholesterol diet that will suit you. Take note that no two persons have the same dietary requirements, cholesterol levels, history and preferences, so it's best to discuss all these contributing factors with a professional who can help. You must also have the willingness to adapt to certain dietary restrictions as a diet to reduce high cholesterol levels can pose certain limits particularly to the types of food you are allowed and limited to eat.
Reducing fat in the diet is synonymous to lowering cholesterol. Some folks reduce their fat intake of about 20% of their total calorie intake. However, when you are suffering from high triglyceride levels, it is possible that you will be advised to increase your monounsaturated fat [good fat] intake and one source of this type of fat is olive oil.
* Which foods are recommended in a diet to reduce high cholesterol levels?
- Oat bran and oatmeal both contain soluble fiber that helps reduce LDL [low density lipoprotein] or the bad cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in kidney beans, pears, prunes, apples, psyllium and barley.
Soluble fiber helps reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines. By taking 10 grams or more of soluble fiber each day can help decrease your LDL and total cholesterol. You can get 6 grams of fiber from 1 ½ cups of cooked oatmeal. Add a banana or any fruit, that's around 4 grams of fiber. You can try steel-cut oatmeal or cold oatmeal or bran cereal.
- Almonds, walnuts and other nuts
Studies show that walnuts can considerable lower blood cholesterol levels due to their high polyunsaturated fatty acid content. Walnuts are also recommended to help keep the blood vessels elastic and healthy. Almonds and other nuts seem to have the same effect when taken.
According to the FDA, by eating about a handful of nuts per day [1.5 ounces or 42.5 grams of a variety of nuts- almonds, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.], you may lower the risk of heart disease.
Do not go overboard with nuts though, since they are high in calories. So a handful will do. And to replace foods with high saturated fat, use nuts instead [example: instead of cheese use nuts in your salad to add flavor].
- Omega-3 fatty acid and fish
There have been researches about the cholesterol-lowering properties of fatty fish due to the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in them. Omega-3 is also recommended for those with heart diseases, high blood pressure and blood clot problems.
It is recommended that you eat at least 2 servings of fish per week. Fish with high omega-3 fatty acids are mackerel, herring, sardines, lake trout, salmon and albacore tuna. It is best to grill or bake the fish to keep it light and healthy.
For those who don't eat fish, you can get omega-3 from ground flaxseed and canola oil.
- Olive oil
This oil is rich in antioxidants that can lower the bad cholesterol or LDL but leaves the good cholesterol [HDL] intact. The FDA recommends taking 2 tablespoons or 23 grams of olive oil per day to get the most of its benefits. It is also best to choose virgin or extra virgin olive oil since they have more antioxidants and cholesterol-reducing properties.
- Foods that are fortified with stanols or plant sterols
Now there are foods that are being fortified with plant sterols or stanols- these are substances found in plants that help block cholesterol absorption.
The daily amount of plant sterols required is at least 2 grams [8 ounces or 237 mL servings of sterol-fortified orange juice, for example]. These substances do not appear to affect the triglyceride [HDL or good cholesterol] levels. They also do not interfere with the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K [fat-soluble vitamins].
If you suffer from high cholesterol levels, it is best to include in some form of sport or exercise to help you lose some extra pounds. Following a diet to reduce high cholesterol may be difficult to start with, but with patience and determination, you will succeed at overcoming this health problem.
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