What Is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a major type of fat found in blood. A cholesterol number of 240 or more is considered high. Cholesterol levels that are high can cause a multitude of health problems. Elevated cholesterol levels can block the flow of blood and contribute to debilitating, and sometimes fatal, diseases such as heart attack and stroke. There are good and bad kinds of cholesterol. The more favorable kind is referred to as high-density lipoprotein, or HDL. This type of cholesterol can lower an individual’s risk of heart disease. The less desired type of cholesterol is called LDL, or low-density lipoprotein. This leaves fat on the inside of blood vessel walls, therefore increasing the chance of heart disease.
How Can Cholesterol Be Lowered?
In many cases, cholesterol is caused by high fat and poor food intake. There are a number of foods that can aid in the lowering of LDL cholesterol levels. There are five types of food that are considered the best choice when trying to lower cholesterol. These include: Omega 3 fatty acids, walnuts and almonds, oatmeal and oat bran, olive oil, and foods high in sterols and or stanols.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
When omega-3 fatty acids are mentioned, fish generally comes to mind. While fish is an important source of omega-3’s, there are many other types of food sources that can provide this critical fatty acid to a diet. Ground flax seed and canola oil are two main types of omega-3 fatty acids. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach are another excellent source of omega-3’s. Soy, tofu, walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts also contain this important fatty acid and may be more palatable to some than fish. There are also omega-3 enhanced eggs that may be purchased to provide this essential fatty acid. All fish types contain omega-3 fatty acids. However, some contain higher levels than others. Sardines, mackeral, herring, and salmon are all examples of types of fish that have higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids. Cod liver oil is not a safe source of omega-3 fatty acids. Toxicity can occur due to its high levels vitamin A and vitamin D. If fish is consumed, it is important to bake or grill the meat to maintain the heart healthy benefits.
Walnuts and Almonds
Walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fats. This aids in the health and elasticity of blood vessels. Almonds and some other types of nuts also have this benefit. Since all nuts are high in calories, it is important to eat around a handful. A handful of pistachio nuts, hazelnut, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts and almonds aid in the prevention of heart disease. By replacing foods that are high in saturated fats with a conservative amount of nuts, weight gain may be avoided. One way to add nuts to a diet is to use them in salads in place of meat or croutons.
Oatmeal and Oat Bran
Oatmeal and oat bran contain soluble fiber which is able to reduce LDL or bad cholesterol. Soluble fiber has been shown to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines. Ten grams of soluble fiber per day can reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels. Approximately one and a half cups of cooked oatmeal provides six grams of fiber. Adding fruit, such as bananas, can increase the fiber by four grams.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is high in monosaturated fatty acids and antioxidants. Olive oil has been shown to control bad cholesterol levels while raising good cholesterol levels. It is a well tolerated oil and has even been shown to help with ulcers. Around two tablespoons of virgin olive oil per day has been shown to have the best effect on the reduction of LDL cholesterol. This amount also produces higher amounts of antioxidants in the blood.
Sterols and Stanols
Plant sterols and stanols form a portion of cell structures in plants and have a similar structure to cholesterol that is found in humans. Sterols and stanols work to reduce the amount of cholesterol from a diet that the body absorbs. They reduce bad cholesterol levels but do not affect good cholesterol levels. Two or three grams of sterol or stanol consumption per day has been shown to reduce bad cholesterol levels by ten to twenty percent. Yogurt, orange juice, avacodos, sunflower seeds, and corn oil are all food types that contain sterols and stanols.
Other foods that have been linked to the reduction of cholesterol include: one hundred percent cranberry-grape juice, pomegranate juice, black soybeans, and blueberries.
There are a variety of food choices that are included in a high cholesterol diet. Adding one or more of these types of food can help to reduce cholesterol levels as well as encourage healthy weight and heart function.