Best Diet To Lower Ldl Cholesterol – Cholesterol is often labeled as something very dangerous. But did you know that your body actually needs cholesterol and that it’s not inherently bad?
Cholesterol is an integral part of healthy cells in your body. It’s a waxy substance—known as a lipid—that moves through your body through your blood. Cholesterol helps make cell membranes that protect the contents of every cell in your body. It is also used in the production of bile which is important for digestion. In addition, your body needs cholesterol to produce vitamin D as well as certain hormones.
Best Diet To Lower Ldl Cholesterol
Your liver produces the maximum amount of cholesterol your body needs for these functions. However, the food you eat also contributes to the production of cholesterol. This means that depending on what you eat, your body can have high levels of cholesterol and this can lead to health problems. Continue reading to learn more about how the food you eat affects cholesterol levels, the dangers of high cholesterol, and how to lower cholesterol through your diet.
High Cholesterol Foods To Eat And Avoid, According To Experts
As you know, your body produces all the cholesterol it needs. Eating foods rich in cholesterol-producing foods puts your health at risk. Generally speaking, foods high in meat, dairy, and saturated and trans fats can lead to high cholesterol levels.
When this happens, the amount of cholesterol traveling through your bloodstream increases dramatically. Cholesterol can build up in the walls of your arteries, blocking blood flow. Over time this contributes to high blood pressure. In some cases, these deposits move away from the artery walls and can form a clot, resulting in a heart attack or stroke.
High cholesterol can be hereditary, but often it is a result of poor lifestyle choices, with a poor diet leading to elevated cholesterol levels. Since it doesn’t show major symptoms, the best way to catch high cholesterol is to get it checked regularly. If you have it, the first step to lowering cholesterol is to manage your diet.
Eating a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios is the first step in lowering your cholesterol. It provides 1-2 grams of soluble fiber. Add some bananas or strawberries for an extra half gram. Current nutritional recommendations call for consuming 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day, of which at least 5 to 10 should be soluble fiber.
Day Low Cholesterol Diet Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories
Barley Whole grains, including barley and oats and oat bran, may reduce the risk of heart disease, mostly because of the soluble fiber they provide. These are the best foods to avoid cholesterol
Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. Furthermore, they take longer for the body to process, extending the time you feel full and satisfied after eating. Beans are beneficial as a food for those trying to lose weight. Beans are especially adaptable because there are a wide variety, from navy and kidney beans to lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, and more.
Soluble fiber is excellent in these two low-calorie vegetables. It is considered to be one of the cholesterol-lowering foods.
Plant-derived stanols and sterols prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol from food. Businesses are adding them to everything from granola bars and margarine to chocolate and orange juice. They can also be purchased as supplements. You can achieve a 10% lower LDL cholesterol by consuming 2 grams of plant sterols or stanols each day. These foods are considered cholesterol-lowering foods.
Easy Food Swaps To Help Lower Cholesterol
Besides being an excellent source of plant-based protein, lentils help lower LDL or bad cholesterol levels. To enjoy this benefit, include half a cup of cooked lentils in your diet every day. Since they contain high amounts of soluble fiber, pulses keep you fuller for longer.
You should add nuts to your cholesterol diet plan because they are rich in both fiber and healthy fats. More importantly, they help reduce cholesterol (LDL or bad cholesterol) levels. For maximum benefits from nuts eat them raw and without adding any salt.
Consuming dark chocolate and cocoa not only lowers bad or LDL cholesterol, but also increases good or HDL cholesterol. Furthermore, studies have found that cocoa and dark chocolate prevent bad cholesterol from oxidizing in your body. This is great, because oxidation of LDL is linked to heart disease.
You don’t have to eliminate oils from your cholesterol diet altogether. In fact, consuming healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil can help you manage cholesterol. Rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, extra virgin olive oil is said to lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol.
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Now that you know some foods that lower cholesterol, here’s information on a low cholesterol diet plan. Following such a plan for a long period of time is likely to yield measurable results.
1 bowl of brown rice with spinach, corn, broccoli and tofu stir fry in your choice of sauce
To reduce cholesterol and heart disease risk, the AHA recommends reducing intake of saturated and trans fats.
Limiting consumption of the following options that are high in saturated and trans fat can help lower “bad” cholesterol levels. Following are some of the cons
Snacks To Help Battle High Cholesterol
Remember that cholesterol can have serious consequences, from type 2 diabetes to a range of cardiovascular conditions. Therefore, it is important that you consult your doctor regularly if you have high cholesterol or are at risk of it. A doctor will not only be able to diagnose the condition, but he will be able to create a low cholesterol diet according to your specific needs.
Find an expert using Bajaj Finserve Health and stay one step ahead of high cholesterol. You can book an appointment with a doctor at your convenience, be it online or in person, and also get discounts and deals from partner healthcare facilities.
Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and Bajaj Finserv Health Limited (“BFHL”) bears no responsibility for the views/advice/information expressed/given by the author/reviewer/promoter. This article should not be taken as a substitute for any medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult your trusted physician/qualified healthcare professional to assess your medical condition. The above article has been reviewed by a qualified doctor and BFHL is not responsible for any damages for any information or services provided by any third party. Your diet affects your cholesterol. To lower your cholesterol, limit foods high in saturated fat and avoid foods high in trans fat. These fats raise your “bad” cholesterol (LDL). Adding more soluble fiber and plant-based foods to your diet can lower your LDL cholesterol and give you the nutrition you need for an active, vibrant life.
Yes, what you eat can affect the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that your body needs to function. Your liver produces enough cholesterol to support your body’s processes. So, you don’t need to get it from food (and it’s not an essential nutrient). The cholesterol you get from your diet is extra and unnecessary, like adding sand to the beach. That being said, your diet only affects about 20% to 30% of your blood cholesterol.
Ways To Eat Your Way To Lower Cholesterol
There are certain foods that raise your “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels more than normal. On the other hand, other foods can help lower your LDL levels. Knowing which foods to eat and which foods to avoid can help manage your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease.
The major dietary source of cholesterol (called dietary cholesterol) is animal products. This includes meat, cheese and dairy products.
When it comes to lowering your cholesterol levels, research shows that it’s not dietary cholesterol we should worry about. Instead, two types of unhealthy fats — saturated fat and trans fat — are the culprits behind high bad cholesterol. It just so happens that many foods that are high in dietary cholesterol can also contain these unhealthy fats.
Certain ingredients can help lower your LDL cholesterol. The key to know is soluble fiber. It is a form of water-soluble fiber. Soluble fiber binds to bile (which is made up of cholesterol) and removes it from your body with waste. Aim for 10 to 25 grams of soluble fiber per day. Ask your provider what amount is best for you based on your calorie needs.
Cholesterol: Top Foods To Improve Your Numbers
Saturated fat is a type of fat that solidifies at room temperature. Common sources of saturated fat include:
Your body needs some saturated fat to stay healthy. But it can be easy to eat too much if you’re not checking nutrition labels. Knowing how much saturated fat is in some of your common foods can help you find ways to cut back.
You may think, how much is too much? Aim to get 5% to 6% of your daily calories from saturated fat. The chart below provides recommended limits based on how many calories you need each day.
Keep in mind that these ranges are suggestions, not hard and fast rules. Too much focus on numbers and hard limits can lead to disordered eating habits like orthorexia. Also, dietitians caution that grabbing too many of the numbers can cause you to eliminate some foods that are actually more healthy than harmful.
Low Cholesterol Diet Plan For Beginners
For example, olive oil contains some saturated fat, but its health benefits make it worth adding to your diet in moderation (up to four tablespoons per day). Other foods that contain saturated fat
