Cholesterol Reducing Foods

Cholesterol Lowering Foods - Heart Disease Prevention

Author: peterhutch

Little by little larger numbers of people suffer from heart disease as a consequence of high cholesterol levels. There are many factors that enable the accumulation of cholesterol inside the organism, but the major cause is considered to be unhealthy diet. Unhealthy diet and bad eating habits can considerably increase blood cholesterol levels. That’s why cholesterol lowering foods should be part of a cholesterol lowering diet.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your bloodstream and every cell in your body. First off, it is important to note that cholesterol is normal. We all must have some cholesterol within our bodies. Without out it, your body would be unable to produce cell membranes and various hormones. But here is where it gets complicated. When your body has too much cholesterol, this waxy substance starts to form blockages in the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Cholesterol lowering food in combination with a healthy fit lifestyle has been proven over and over again to be one of the most effective ways of lowering cholesterol naturally.

Cholesterol lowering food should be included in everyone's diet but especially in a diet to lower cholesterol if your cholesterol is already high. Failure to include cholesterol lowering food in your diet can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Nuts such as almonds and walnuts that have a high amount of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat, also help lowering cholesterol. Researchers have found that nuts not only lower the total and LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol significantly, but also help maintain a desirable level of HDL (or “good”) cholesterol.

Garlic is a popular cholesterol-lowering herb that contains allin and allicin. It has antispasmodic properties that help facilitate proper digestion and absorption. Because of its quick and effective actions on the gastrointestinal tract, excess cholesterol won't be easily stored as fat since garlic tries to let the body eliminate it instead.

Oatmeal is a good source of carbohydrates and soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps reduce low-density lipoprotein or LDL which is also called bad cholesterol. Soluble fiber acts to hinder excess absorption of cholesterol in the intestines. With its gel-like qualities, bile works with dietary cholesterol to be properly excreted by the body.

Flaxseed

Flaxseed provides alpha-linolenic acid a poly-unsaturated fat which has been shown to lower cholesterol while providing needed soluble fiber.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is one of the mono-saturated fats and studies have shown that it lowers blood cholesterol. Extra virgin olive oil is suggested to be better than other varieties.

While foods containing soy protein are no longer considered cholesterol lowering foods, they can still be part of a healthy diet. Soy protein will not harm your health, and substituting soy protein, such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy nuts, soy milk, soy burgers, soy cheese, and soy flour for animal protein, continues to be a wise food choice because of its high content of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and low content of saturated fat.

About the Author:

Read about Natural Supplements, Herbal Remedies. Also read about Natural Weight Loss and Obeslim

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/cholesterol-lowering-foods-heart-disease-prevention-621264.html

Five Foods to Lower Cholesterol

Eat to Lower Cholesterol. 5 Cholesterol Fighting Foods

Author: Peter Clark

Naturally reducing your cholesterol can be as easy as adding a few different foods to your diet. Depending on the specific type of food that you add to your diet, there is a good chance that you will begin to see amazing results in a very short period of time. Here is a list of foods that help to lower cholesterol.



One of the most well known low cholesterol foods is oatmeal. If you are looking for a food which is not only tasty, but that will also give you a jumpstart in the morning, then oatmeal is a great choice for you. It contains something called beta-glucan, which is well known for reducing cholesterol levels, and eating oats increases the soluble fiber in your diet, which is also important.



If you want to make it more healthy, however, you will want to think about topping it with fresh berries. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and even cranberries or grapes will make a great addition to oatmeal.

Berries help prevent oxidation of LDL, or bad cholesterol. Even more importantly, they are delicious. Keep in mind that various other types of fruits are also known to reduce bad cholesterol and increase HDL, or good cholesterol.



Another one of the most well known low cholesterol foods is beans. The reason that they are such a great choice is because they contain high amounts of fiber and little fat. One of the good things about beans is they can make a great addition to just about any meal.

Also keep in mind that lentils also belong to the list of foods that help to lower cholesterol, for the same exact reason.



Although red meat should be avoided, you do not need to become a vegetarian. Poultry without the skin, fish without the skin and eggs without the yolks all make the list of foods that help to lower cholesterol. In comparison to red meat and seafood, such as shrimp and lobster, these foods contain a minimal amount of saturated fat and cholesterol.



These are just a few of the different low cholesterol foods you can consider adding to your diet if you are interested in reducing your own cholesterol.

Since there are many others out there, you may want to make your own list or have your doctor help you. The more that you choose from a list of foods that help to lower cholesterol, the healthier you will be.

But if you really want to tackle cholesterol then you need to use a multi pronged attack, and use supplements specifically targeted at lowering cholesterol as well as a change of diet. There is a range of excellent natural and organic supplements available which are highly effective at lowering cholesterol.

And you won't find them in your local drugstore.

About the Author:

Want to know more about Lowering Cholesterol? Visit Peter's Website Natural Health-Natural Skin Care and find out more about naturally lowering your cholesterol levels at http://naturalskinhealth.com/

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/men's-health-articles/eat-to-lower-cholesterol-5-cholesterol-fighting-foods-528137.html