Cholesterol is found naturally in our body and is important in the body because it helps absorb vitamins, helps digest food and even affects hormones, among many other functions and in this article, we will indicate the foods that help you lower cholesterol.
However, despite its importance for the health and proper functioning of the body, it is necessary to keep it at bay. In this article we will tell you how to lower the cholesterol quickly?
On the other hand, we will explain what factors or foods can raise cholesterol. Remember that high cholesterol can seriously affect your cardiovascular health, arteries, etc.
What is cholesterol? Importance for health
Cholesterol is also called High Density Lipoproteins (HDL), Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL). The latter is the one that is popularly classified as bad cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a lipid or waxy substance that is very similar to fat, thanks to it we have substances that allow us to digest food, vitamins, etc., which are essential for life. The body constantly produces cholesterol, which is directed and purified by the liver and this is beneficial for health.
However, an excess of cholesterol (LDL) can combine with other substances producing plaques, which adhere to the blood vessels, which can trigger problems with the coronary arteries and this in turn a wide variety of discomforts and even problems. serious.
What causes high cholesterol?
If you want to know how to lower the cholesterol quickly, So before that it is important for you to understand the reason behind the formation of cholesterol.
Bad cholesterol (LDL) is related to a poor diet, however, that is not the only reason. Next, we will indicate the main reasons why the LDL is elevated.
- Bad nutrition. Actually, there are many foods that have cholesterol, so if you eat a lot of them you can develop high cholesterol. At the same time, there are foods that cause the liver to produce more cholesterol than necessary. A diet concentrated in saturated fat, trans fat, fried foods, processed sweets, cakes, etc., can raise cholesterol.
- Smoking. The conventional cigarette and even the latest technological appearances such as the Vamper (e-cigarette), also harm health, since it reduces good cholesterol, giving entry to bad cholesterol.
- Little physical exercise. Sports activities allow the body to digest food, it helps the mind and heart, but a sedentary life combined with poor eating habits raises cholesterol.
- Genetics. Many people have a genetic tendency to have high cholesterol. The excessive production of cholesterol influences much more than any lifestyle habit.
How to lower the cholesterol quickly?
To lower cholesterol and triglycerides, it is necessary to make changes in our eating habits, this means that we must avoid ultra-processed foods, as well as sausages, pastries, and reduce the consumption of red meat, among other things. Trans fats should be completely avoided.
On the other hand, it is necessary to make an effort to practice physical exercise, this will allow you to have an ideal weight. Of course, it is also necessary to avoid habits that harm health, such as alcohol consumption and smoking.
In reality, sometimes the most difficult thing is to change eating habits, due to the same lack of knowledge of the foods that are good for cholesterol, so we want to talk to you about what you can eat to lower bad cholesterol.
6 foods to lower cholesterol
If you have high cholesterol and want to prevent heart disease and lower your cholesterol, you should know that eating a healthy diet is the best medical treatment. Your diet should be rich in soluble fiber and peptin. These favor digestion, according to the National Center for Cardiovascular Research.
On the other hand, experts point out that it is necessary to include polyunsaturated fatty acids, which contain stanols and sterols. These are found in vegetables. Keeping these indications in mind, we will reveal the foods to lower cholesterol.
- Dried fruits
Nuts include: walnuts, almonds, walnuts, among others. They not only reduce bad cholesterol by 4%, but also raise good cholesterol by 7%. Therefore, you can consume them daily at breakfast . At least 40 grams is recommended without adding salt. It is also excellent as a snack to replace the consumption of sweets or processed foods.
- Oatmeal
Oatmeal is the number 1 cereal and helps lower cholesterol. It has soluble fiber and reduces the LDL that circulates in the blood. In addition, it contributes to intestinal transit. Its consumption is recommended in the mornings and preferably that the cereal (oatmeal) is cooked. The ideal dose is one and a half cups.
- Fish
Oily fish provides Omega-3, which is beneficial for cardiovascular health, as it reduces blood pressure and the appearance or development of blood clots.
Eating grilled fish twice a week provides the body with fats that are not harmful to health. In the preparation you can add olive oil, lean towards the consumption of: sardines, albacore tuna, salmon, mackerel, etc.
You can also take fish oil supplements to get some of the nutrients or lean towards Omega-3 intake.
- Vegetables
Vegetables have always been associated with a good diet and are foods that help lower cholesterol. And it is that these provide stanols and sterols, fiber, which contribute to digestion, and reduce the absorption of bad cholesterol. You can consume: Broccoli, spinach, and in general all green leafy vegetables.
- Legumes
Legumes such as soybeans, lentils, peas , provide you with a good level of vegetable protein and fiber, increasing HDL (good cholesterol) and decreasing bad cholesterol (LDL) and are perfect foods to lower cholesterol.
The consumption of legumes can be regular, at least three times a week, and the consumption dose recommended by experts is between 11 and 50 grams.
- Fruits
Fruits provide you with essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals and help lower cholesterol. The skin of the apple helps to slow down the oxidation of LDL, it is an antioxidant. Similarly, watermelon and lemon can reduce cholesterol by up to 20%, according to studies in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry.
On the other hand, avocado is beneficial for hypercholesterolemia, its intake is recommended as part of a balanced diet.
