What Foods Lower Cholesterol And Triglycerides – Triglycerides are a type of fat found in food and in your body. The body takes fat from the food you eat and stores it as triglycerides in fat cells. Your liver uses triglycerides to make cholesterol. Therefore, the more triglycerides you have, the higher your cholesterol level.
The very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL or bad cholesterol) in your blood is used to calculate your triglyceride levels. In short, triglycerides make up bad cholesterol and you need to keep it low.
What Foods Lower Cholesterol And Triglycerides
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Keep your triglycerides below 150 mg/dL as this is considered the normal level. Borderline triglycerides are between 150 and 199 mg/dL and high triglycerides are between 200 and 500 mg/dL. Triglycerides are high risk above 500 mg/dL. Many experts consider a triglyceride level below 200 mg/dL to be fine.
Reducing Cholesterol Naturally: What Foods Should Be Eaten & Avoided?
High triglyceride levels can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Therefore, lifestyle changes are essential if you want to lower your triglyceride levels.
One way to keep your triglycerides under control is to burn more calories than you eat, i.e. exercise.
Keep your dietary fat intake to 30 percent of total calories. Choose a diet low in fat, specifically saturated fat. But, it is important to include good fats. Remember omega-3s?
“To decrease the intake of saturated fat, the emphasis of your diet should be on the consumption of vegetables, fruits, breads, cereals, rice, legumes and pasta, skimmed milk and skim milk products, poultry, fish and lean meat.” the therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) diet recommended by the US National Institutes of Health’s National Cholesterol Education Program. The program suggests consuming no more than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol per day.
Diet Plan To Lower Cholesterol And Lose Weight
Whole grain bread, pasta, cereals, brown rice, and basmati rice are foods rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber. For example, one cup of cooked oats provides 4 g of fiber. Whole grains also provide some protein and are generally low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat. Six or more servings per day are recommended.
Dried beans and peas are good sources of plant protein and are high in fiber. They should be replaced with foods high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat, but eat only 5 ounces (about 142 g) per day of plant protein sources. Peas, beans and dried legumes can be used in nutritious, tasty and low-fat starters or side dishes.
Fruits and vegetables are important sources of vitamins C, E and A, beta-carotene, other vitamins, fiber and some minerals and help reduce high cholesterol levels. The TLC diet recommends eating 2 to 4 servings of fruit a day and 3 to 5 servings of vegetables a day to lower LDL cholesterol. Apples, grapes, strawberries and citrus fruits are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that lowers LDL. Similarly, vegetables are well endowed with fiber and nutrients such as lipoic acid and vitamins. Vegetables that can help lower triglyceride levels include potato, sweet potato, mushroom, tomato, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, and many others.
The lower ratio of omega-6 / omega-3 is desirable to reduce chronic diseases. The researchers found that a ratio of 4:1 was important for preventing cardiovascular disease. To achieve this, you need to increase your omega-3 intake. Flaxseed is very rich in omega-3. This is evident from the fact that 2 tablespoons of flaxseed contain almost 133 percent of the daily omega-3 requirement. But, you have to grind flaxseeds in order for your body to absorb the omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed is very rich in fiber and helps reduce cholesterol.
Lifestyle Changes To Lower Cholesterol
Eating fatty fish is beneficial for the heart as these are also rich in omega-3. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings or 5 ounces of fish per week. Examples of fatty fish include salmon, halibut, lake trout, mackerel, sardines and tuna. Avoid frying them in saturated fats. It is best to eat them in the oven or on the grill. Seafood is low in saturated fat but varies in cholesterol content. Shrimp are relatively high in cholesterol, but of course, they can be eaten occasionally.
Olive oil is a low triglyceride saturated fat substitute. It comes as extra virgin, virgin or light (highly processed). Choose extra virgin or virgin oils as they are less processed and therefore have higher antioxidant content. One of the benefits of olive oil is that it lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol, but keeps HDL (good) cholesterol intact. However, olive oil is also high in calories, so don’t consume more than 2 tablespoons per day to keep your heart healthy and cholesterol levels low.
Egg whites do not contain cholesterol and can be eaten frequently. Replace whole eggs with whites or commercial egg substitutes or egg products with reduced cholesterol in your diet, as whole eggs contain 215 mg of cholesterol per egg. Limit egg yolks to two per week.
You can eat up to 5 ounces a day of lean meat and poultry. Remember to cut visible fat from lean meats. Lean meat is high in protein, contains highly absorbable iron and is a good source of zinc and vitamin B12. “Lean meat may contribute to the maintenance of iron stores in premenopausal women,” says the NIH. Chicken and turkey are good sources of lean protein and, to some extent, iron. Removing the skin and underlying fat layers substantially reduces the fat content. Cook poultry in ways that minimize the addition of saturated fat.
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Milk and milk products are important sources of protein, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D. Nonfat milk and other nonfat or low-fat (1 percent fat) dairy products provide as much or more calcium and protein than whole milk products, with little or no saturated fat. Fat-free or 1 percent fat milk, fat-free or low-fat cheese, 1 percent fat cottage cheese, and fat-free or low-fat yogurt are good choices, according to the TLC diet.
Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios and many other nuts help lower cholesterol and are heart-healthy. Nuts are high in calories, so limit yourself to around 42g of nuts per day.
By the way, all these foods are an integral part of the Mediterranean diet. Eat these foods, exercise regularly, quit smoking, limit alcohol consumption, and watch your high triglyceride levels drop.
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Foods That Lower Cholesterol: What To Eat To Help Reduce Cholesterol
This site uses cookies to provide our services. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Ok, I understand. Having high levels of cholesterol, especially “bad” LDL, is linked to an increased risk of heart disease (
Legumes contain a lot of fiber, minerals and protein. Replacing some refined grains and processed meats in your diet with vegetables can reduce your risk of heart disease.
A review of 26 randomized controlled studies showed that eating 1/2 cup (100 grams) of vegetables a day is effective in lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol by an average of 6.6 mg/dL, compared to eating no vegetables.
Summary Legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils can help lower “bad” LDL levels and are a good source of plant-based protein.
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They are a rich source of monounsaturated fat and fiber, two nutrients that help lower “bad” LDL and increase “good” HDL cholesterol (5).
In one study, overweight and obese adults with high LDL cholesterol who ate an avocado a day lowered their LDL levels more than those who did not eat avocados.
An analysis of 10 studies found that replacing avocados with other fats was linked to lower total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides (7).
They are very high in monounsaturated fats. Walnuts are also rich in the plant variety of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat associated with heart health (8).
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Almonds and other nuts are particularly rich in L-arginine, an amino acid that helps your body produce nitric oxide. This, in turn, helps regulate blood pressure (8,
In addition, walnuts provide phytosterols. These plant compounds are structurally similar to cholesterol and help lower cholesterol by blocking its absorption in the intestines.
Calcium, magnesium and potassium, also found in walnuts, can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.
In an analysis of 25 studies, eating 2 to 3 servings of nuts per day lowered “bad” LDL cholesterol by an average of 10.2 mg/dl.
What Are Triglycerides?
Eating one daily serving of nuts is linked to a 28% lower risk of fatal and non-fatal heart disease (8).
Summary Nuts are rich in cholesterol-lowering fats and fiber, as well as minerals linked to improved heart health.
In a large 25-year study of adults, those who ate more non-fried fish were less likely to develop metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that includes high blood pressure and low “good” HDL levels.
In another large study of older adults, those who ate tuna or other cooked or grilled fish at least once a week had a 27% lower risk of stroke.
Foods High In Triglycerides: What To Eat And Avoid To Lower Triglycerides
Note that the healthiest ways to cook fish are to steam or stew. In fact, fried fish may increase your risk of heart disease and stroke (
The fish is one
