Foods to Eat To Lower Your Cholesterol.
Research shows that seven in ten adults over the age of 45 has high cholesterol levels. High cholesterol can lead to a greater risk of coronary heart disease or a stroke. Heart diseases and deaths from stroke can be prevented if one can reduce their blood cholesterol by just 10%. This would mean saving millions of lives and putting a lower burden on the health care systems.
Medications are readily available to lower your cholesterol level, but there are also certain foods that help you to keep your cholesterol levels in check. Apart from regular exercise, switch to a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat. Avoid foods with too much saturated fat which increase your cholesterol levels such as goose fat, fatty meat products, full-fat cheese and dairy products. Plant-based saturated fats that should be avoided includes vegetable shortening, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil.
1. Garlic
Garlic has been used in nearly every culture in the world for thousands of years. The strong flavor and nutritional value of garlic are indisputable. It is found to lower cholesterol, protect against infections, lower blood pressure, prevent blood clots and protect against infections.
Latest research shows that Garlic can prevent cholesterol particles from ‘sticking’ to the artery wall, thus preventing artery-clogging as well
2. Soy
Include soy foods in your daily meals to reduce high cholesterol levels. Nonetheless, eating soy-based foods is good for you even if your cholesterol is normal because they contain less saturated fat and provide other beneficial nutrients such as minerals, fiber, and vitamins.
Talk to your dietitian if you want to add more soy to your diet. Including soy foods in place of meat and cheese can help slash the amount of saturated fat you are consuming each day.
3. Beans
Beans are known for their high fiber content and are especially powerful in reducing your cholesterol. Eat a cup of any beans such as black, chickpea, kidney or butter beans and you can lower your cholesterol level in 6 weeks by as much as 10%!
The soluble fibers in beans make a gel in water that can bind cholesterol and acids in the intestinal tract and prevent their re- absorption into the body. This is how the soluble fiber lowers cholesterol, thus decreasing the risk of heart disease. Soluble fiber is also present in oats, barley, brown rice, apples, carrots, etc.
