Heart Facts | Five super foods for cholesterol reduce

Five super foods for cholesterol reduce

Posted on February 1, 2009
Filed Under Cholesterol reduce | 1 Comment

Many foods contain a large amount of saturated fat and these seem to be the foods we overindulge in. This is not good for us and results in us having high blood cholesterol levels.  The good news is that there are many foods out there which actually are tasty and help to cholesterol reduce giving you a lower cholesterol level, a lower LDL level and a higher HDL level.

1) Blueberries. I have mentioned before the benefits of blueberries in lowering high blood pressure, well they are also effective at cholesterol reduce including total blood levels and harmful LDL levels.  Blueberries are full of antioxidants and they contain pterostilbene which is thought to be responsible for cholesterol lowering and as the compound is specific to fat cells it causes less side effects compared to statins.

2) Oats and whole grains. Studies have shown that people who eat diets high in fibre containing oats and whole grains have lower cholesterol levels than their counterparts who dont eat a diet high in fibre. Fibre forms a gel which binds to and hold cholesterol thus helping its excretion from the body.

3) Garlic- this can be used to lower cholesterol but needs to be consumed in high doses as great as 5 cloves per day. A study in 2007 using a smaller amount of garlic daily showed no effect on blood cholesterol levels whereas many early studies where subjects were consuming 800mg of powdered garlic for 4 months showed that their cholesterol levels dropped by as much as 12% and triglyceride levels also dropped by a significant 17%. Overall I believe that garlic should be added to most meals as the majority of evidence suggests it lowers LDL levels and increases HDL levels and works similarly to a statin.

4) Fish and fish oils- these are both rich in omega-3 fatty acids which has a range of protective effects on the heart and reduces your risk of dying from heart disease through a mechanism involving reduction of inflammation. It is recommended you consume two portions of fish a week such as salmon or herring in order to cholesterol reduce.

5) Avocados- these are thought to help cholesterol reduce by increasing levels of HDL cholesterol and decreasing levels of LDL cholesterol.  Avocado was shown in one study to lower cholesterol levels by 8% whereas a low fat diet only lowered the levels by 5% highlighting the fact that avocados are more effective at cholesterol reduce.  Avocados have the ability to prevent LDL cholesterol absorption due to the presence of a plant alcohol known as Beta-Sitosterol.

I believe these five foods such be present in everyone’s diet in order to maintain ideal cholesterol levels and help your heart stay healthy.

Comments

One Response to “Five super foods for cholesterol reduce”

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