Some of the foods that help lower high cholesterol levels are legumes, skimmed dairy products, white fish, white meat, olive oil, fruit and vegetables, garlic, in addition to the usual consumption in small amounts of dried fruit.
Always keep in mind that cholesterol is necessary for optimal functioning of our body. Not only is it secreted by the liver for the most part, but we also incorporate and absorb it in some foods that contain it. When it exceeds healthy parameters, it is advisable to take measures to lower the cholesterol content in the blood.
It is good that it stays in the indexes established by the doctors, for this reason it must be controlled when it is fired, in order to avoid cardiovascular diseases , mainly. The symptoms of hypercholesterolemia are due to abnormalities in the levels of lipoproteins , which are the particles that carry cholesterol into the bloodstream.
Like fat, cholesterol does not dissolve in water . Instead, its transport in the body depends on molecules called lipoproteins, which transport cholesterol, fat, and fat-soluble vitamins in the blood.
Different types of lipoproteins have different effects on health. For example,High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cause cholesterol deposits in the walls of blood vessels, which can lead to clogged arteries , strokes, heart attacks, and kidney failure.
However, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) helps transport cholesterol from the vessel walls and helps prevent these diseases.
This may be due to inadequate diets , certain genetic factors , as well as the presence of other secondary diseases , including hypothyroidism , obstructive liver disease,among other.

Vegetables


Beans, chickpeas, lentils are excellent sources of soluble fiber . This substance binds to cholesterol-laden bile salts in the intestine and facilitates their elimination with the feces. It actually performs a broom effect. But it is not only that fiber helps to expel it from the body: when this happens, the liver needs more cholesterol to produce more bile salts, and for this it uses LDL, which further reduces its concentration.
Soluble fiber nourishes healthy probiotic gut bacteria and removes cholesterol from the body, lowering LDL and VLDL .

Skimmed

milk products Skimmed milk or skimmed milk products, cottage cheese and fresh cheeseswith less than 20% fat are beneficial for lowering cholesterol. This is due to fat, by eliminating fats, they contribute to a lower cardiovascular risk . If they are compared with whole or whole milk products, it must be said that they have quite similar nutritional properties. What distinguishes them is their caloric level, less fat and less vitamins A and D.
As they are products with less fat, it turns them into foods that help reduce blood cholesterol.

White and blue

fish Oily fish is essential due to its Omega-3 content , something that will contribute to adequate cholesterol levels. In addition, it regulates blood pressure and helps prevent strokes .. You can include sardines, mackerel, trout or salmon in your diet. It is equally important to choose well the way to make the product, it must be grilled, oven, steam or grill . Of the fried ones it is better to forget.
White fish is also a good option. Its Omega-3 levels are lower, something that makes it especially recommended for hypocaloric diets . You can include pieces of cod, hake or blue whiting on the menu, for example.

White meat


Lean meat such as turkey, chicken or rabbit , and always without skin. Lean meat consists of animal meat made up of muscle fibers. It has low amounts of fat and a good portion of protein . It is a food with good amounts of zinc, it has no sugar and it contains iron, protein, calcium, fiber, potassium, iodine, carbohydrates, magnesium, sodium, vitamins and phosphorus. In addition to having low amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol .
White meat has great health benefits for people. This is due to the low content of saturated fats it provides, which serves to reduce the chances of suffering from cardiovascular problems .

Olive oil
Unlike saturated fats, unsaturated fats have at least one double chemical bond that changes the way they are used in the body. Monounsaturated fats have only one double bond. In general, monounsaturated fats are healthy because they lower bad LDL cholesterol, raise good HDL cholesterol, and reduce harmful oxidation.
Consumption of diets enriched with monounsaturated fats has been linked to a lower rate of coronary heart disease. Olive oil that is rich in sterols, which reduce LDL to 14 mg / dl . Make sure it is extra virgin so that it contains these properties.

VegetablesGreen leafy

vegetablesLike spinach, they reduce cholesterol levels, especially when the diet is very rich in fat, since they favor a greater elimination of cholesterol in the feces.
On the other hand, these vegetables contain a high percentage of stanols and sterols that also cause a lower intestinal absorption of cholesterol . Other vegetables, such as broccoli, have a very beneficial effect on hypercholesterolemia, among other things due to their high levels of fiber.

Fruit


Some fruits contain a high concentration of certain pigments called anthocyanins , which give colorations from red to orange and from blue to purple. The interesting thing is that some studies have observed that the incorporation of anthocyanins has the capacity to reduce LDL cholesterol levels between 16 and 25% in individuals with hypercholesterolemia and this effect is only specific in these individuals.
The body in the presence of anthocyanins produces less cholesterol. Some foods that contain these compounds are raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, acai or eggplant skin .

Garlic

Garlic is considered one of the foods that
cleanses the arteries of cholesterol concentrations. Its benefits are the reduction of high blood pressure and the reduction of hardening of the arteries ( arteriosclerosis ). It is also a food rich in minerals (selenium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and iodine) and vitamins (among which those of group B stand out, such as B1, B3, B6 and small amounts C and E).
According to some studies, garlic can reduce total cholesterol and triglyceride levels , and they maintain that garlic therapy could be beneficial in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease.

Nuts


Regular consumption of nuts that lower cholesterol, such as walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds , is highly recommended. They are very nutritious and full of healthy fats that lower LDL levels in the blood. In addition, they are a great source of fibers , antioxidants, vitamins and essential minerals.
The consumption of dried fruits and nuts has positive effects on the cardiovascular system , reduces cholesterol and does not affect weight . specifically the walnuts, can exert beneficial effects on different cardiovascular risk factors such as insulin resistance, inflammation, blood pressure and lipid profile.
These components decrease the absorption of cholesterol and bile acids in the body, increase their excretion and increase the activity of LDL cholesterol receptors.Some of its nutrients could also modulate enzymes involved in the synthesis of cholesterol and in the production of bile acids. Triglycerides also decrease , but the mechanisms by which this process occurs are less well understood.

What not to eat to avoid increased cholesterol

Less saturated and no trans. This type of fat causes the liver to produce more cholesterol, although recent studies show that the most harmful are trans . So limit red meats , luncheon meats , and full- fat dairy ; and avoid processed, precooked products, pastries and industrial pastries .

Sugars and white flours are under suspicion. Since they raise blood glucose sharply, with which the body produces a lot of insulin . And this hormone, when it has already supplied glucose to the cells, orders to transform “what is left over” into fat . This process is done in the liver, increasing a fat known astriglycerides . Trans fats are unsaturated fats

that have been changed by a process called hydrogenation.This is done to make the unsaturated fats in vegetable oils more stable as an ingredient . Many margarines and shortenings are made from partially hydrogenated oils.
The resulting trans fats are not fully saturated, but are solid at room temperature. This is why food companies have used trans fats in products such as spreads, cakes, and cookies , which provide more texture than unsaturated liquid oils.


Unfortunately, partially hydrogenated trans fats are handled differently in the body than other fats, and not in a good way. Trans fats increase total cholesterol and LDL, but decrease beneficial HDL by up to 20%.

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