Check out 11 foods that reduce high cholesterol and encourage a healthier life.
Did you go for a battery of tests and came back with unwanted results? It happens! At least now you know that something is not going as well as you would like and you can work to reverse this situation, right?
Therefore, if your problem is high cholesterol, know that the solution may be simpler than it seems: improve your diet. That’s right you read, in these cases, the best medicine is to take care of your food.
Therefore, to help you in this food re-education process, we have selected 11 foods that reduce cholesterol. That way, by consuming them, it will be possible to reverse the situation and put your health back on track.
But before proceeding, it is good to clarify that our strategy will be to indicate foods to reduce your bad cholesterol and, consequently, increase the good one. Yes, there are two types of cholesterol: harmful (LDL – bad cholesterol) and necessary (HDL – good cholesterol).
Knowing this, we can go ahead and check out the list of foods that can significantly reduce the level of bad cholesterol in your blood when consumed regularly.
1. Oatmeal
To form a task force against LDL, nothing better than inserting oats into your eating routine. That’s because food is rich in soluble fiber, one of the nutrients responsible for carrying cholesterol out of your body.
So bet on that nutrient every day. How about starting the morning eating a portion of fruit with oatmeal?
2. Whole grains (like barley)
LDL, bad cholesterol, is responsible for developing fat in the bloodstream, causing – in the long term – vascular obstruction. Therefore, high cholesterol can result in serious diseases, including heart disease.
Thus, having the same benefits as oats, whole grains, such as barley, can be good allies against bad cholesterol. It also reduces the risk of heart problems.
3. oilseeds
Did you know that regularly eating nuts, walnuts, peanuts and other types of oilseeds, in an amount equal to or greater than 50 grams, can reduce LDL by up to 5%? Not to mention the additional nutrients that protect your heart in other ways.
4. Beans
You noticed that foods with soluble fiber are, for the most part, indicated for a diet that aims to reduce cholesterol, right?
Beans and all foods from the Fabaceae family are rich in fiber and should be consumed to lower bad cholesterol.
In addition, beans, as well as lentils, for example, should be part of the diet of those who want to lose weight, as they bring a feeling of satiety for longer, due to their slow digestion.
5. Eggplant
Eggplant has a large amount of soluble fiber and, therefore, must be included in the diet “against bad cholesterol”. In addition, it is a low-calorie vegetable, so you can eat it without fear.
6. Okra
Like eggplant, okra has an amount of soluble fiber that is essential for those who want to reduce LDL. So it should be added to your market list often, right? And, even though it is unattractive, it can be eaten with other vegetables, grilled, for example.
7. Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits
The aforementioned fruits are extremely rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that significantly reduces bad cholesterol – LDL. Remember the serving of fruit with oats suggested at the beginning of this article? Well, how about inserting grapes and strawberries into that bowl?
8. Vegetable oils
Vegetable oils help reduce bad cholesterol as they can be used in place of other types of oils used for cooking. Therefore, choose to use oils such as sunflower, olive or canola, replacing butter, lard, among others.
9. Soy
A good way to lower bad cholesterol is replacing whole milk with soy milk, for example, or, who knows, inserting tofu in your diet, since foods made from soy, when consumed in an amount of 25 grams per day can lower LDL by 5 to 6%.
10. Fish
Fish is rich in omega 3, a good fat that has the ability to reduce bad cholesterol, thus preventing cardiovascular disease. So remember to consume it weekly, see?
11. Foods fortified with sterols and stanols
Foods fortified with sterols and stanols extracted from plants limit our body’s ability to absorb bad cholesterol from food. For this reason, they must be consumed regularly.
In addition to foods with sterols and stanols, it is possible to purchase supplements with the nutrient. Although consumption of 2 grams per day is enough to reduce cholesterol by about 10%.
Oh! And for an even better result, be sure to reduce foods that increase your cholesterol, rethinking the consumption of saturated fats and trans fats, for example. Finally, remember to keep up with physical activity , okay?