High Cholesterol Getting You Down? Foods That Will Help

When excess cholesterol is in your blood, it collects in the artery walls, forming plaque. This buildup narrows arteries, slowing blood flow and causing arteries to harden.  The result can be deadly, causing heart disease and a potentially fatal heart attack.

Not all cholesterol is bad.  LDL (low-density lipoprotein), the “bad” cholesterol, builds up in your arteries, leading to heart disease.  The “good” cholesterol, HDL (high-density lipoprotein), bonds with LDL cholesterol in the blood. HDL then carries the LDL cholesterol to the liver, where it is removed from the body. 

Because of the way HDL and LDL cholesterols interact, a low cholesterol diet can be the best defense against high cholesterol.  When you reduce cholesterol and increase your intake of HDL, you prevent further arterial damage. A cholesterol diet can also reverse the hardening of arteries from LDL plaque build-up.

Low Cholesterol Diets

For every 1% increase in caloric intake from saturated fat, you increase the LDL cholesterol in your blood by 2%. Therefore, a cholesterol free diet is important.  Substitute red meats with alternatives like:

• White meat
• Legumes (beans)
• Fish
• Soy

Cholesterol diets help lower cholesterol naturally.  By cutting excessive fat, you reduce your caloric intake, resulting in weight loss.  You should get no more than 30% of your calories from fat each day.

Foods That Lower Cholesterol

Omega 3

Besides reducing saturated fat intake, you can also increase your consumption of foods that lower cholesterol. Adding fish to your diet reduces your intake of saturated fat, plus it contains omega-3 fatty acids. These acids lower cholesterol and slow the growth of arterial plaque.  Salmon and Tuna are important in a cholesterol diet, containing the highest levels of Omega 3 fatty acids.  Other foods containing Omega 3 are sunflower oil, walnuts and flax seed.

Whole Grains

Adding whole gain foods will significantly reduce your levels of LDL cholesterol.  Fiber blocks cholesterol absorption.  The most helpful whole grains are lentil, black bean, barley and oats.

Soy

Consider replacing dairy products with soy.  Soy reduces bad cholesterol and may increase flexibility in your arteries, offsetting damaging plaque build up.  You should aim for 25g of soy protein a day

Reducing fat intake and adding healthier foods in your diet to lower cholesterol will result in a slimmer, healthier body.  Not only will you reduce your chance of heart attack, you will also feel better and be less likely to suffer from high blood pressure.