Cholesterol in cholesterol reducing foods

 

Cholesterol is some waxy substance found in our blood cells. The liver in our body produces the most of the cholesterol and the rest is supplied by our food that we eat. Cholesterol helps in the functioning of all the organs present in our body. Patently, cholesterol isn’t harmful in itself and is needed by our body to form Vitamin D, hormones, and digestive fluids only if food which we are taking are cholesterol reducing foods.

The cholesterol can can be categorized into two forms:

(Low-density lipoprotein) LDL, loosely termed as ‘bad cholesterol it can form plaque (fatty and waxy substance) in our arteries.

(High-density lipoprotein) HDL, it is termed as ‘good cholesterol , responsible for transporting the excess amount of cholesterol from the arteries back to the liver which later gets flushed out of the body.

Since bad cholesterol can choke the arteries, so it is really important to keep it in check with the food we eat. Mentioned below is gleaned list of cholesterol reducing foods. Have a look!!!

 

Food Rich in Omega-3

 

This category consists the fatty fish rich in omega-3 content such as salmon, sardine, tuna, mackerel, herring & halibut. This also includes flax seeds and walnuts.
According to the American Heart Association studies, we ought to eat at least 2 servings of a fish in a week.

*Tip: Never overcook the fish; omega-3 is highly susceptible to heat, you can just simply bake it or grill it.

Lycopene

 

Lycopene is basically a phytochemical or pigment which is responsible for giving red color in fruit and vegetables as seen in tomatoes, water-melon, guava, etc.

An approximate intake of 25 mg of lycopene in our regular diet helps in kicking out almost !0% of bad cholesterol or LDL.
Interesting fact about lycopene is, it gets stimulated only after heating. Hence, eating a raw might be a good choice but having tomato soup over raw tomatoes is better and smart choice.
Tip: A cup of tomatoes can only provide5 mg of lycopene.

Green Tea

 

This beverage, highly rich in antioxidants is good to our body in number of ways. A regular intake of green-tea (sugarless) can reduce cholesterol up to 2-5% without even damaging the good cholesterol (HDL).

Tip: Add cinnamon to increase the efficiency and taste of of green tea; cinnamon also has LDL fighting properties.

Almonds

 

LDL after getting oxidized tends to choke arteries which subsequently blocks the blood flow from heart to body. Almonds being highly rich in Vitamin E, prevents LDL/bad cholesterol from getting oxidized. So it should be always there in list of cholesterol reducing foods.
Tip: Eat them with walnuts to reap the most of it.

Olive oil

 

Olive oil is highly rich in MUFA (fat healthy for heart), antioxidants and phenolics. Hence, it tops the oil category and is  highly suggested by the heart specialists and nutritionists. It helps in reducing the bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol, preventing blood clotting.

Oats & Barley

 

These grains are highly rich in fibers called- beta-glucan (which helps in making a gel found in intestines and also prevents cholesterol from being absorbed in our bloodstream).
5-10 gm of soluble fiber intake per day is more than enough to take care of our cholesterol levels.

Tip: One and half cup of oats supplies you 6gm of fibers. Mix them with blueberries or raspberries or with any other fruit to reap the utmost of it.

Avocado

 

This rare fruit is full of fat i.e unsaturated fat- MUFA, just like olive oil, which is as mentioned before is good for kicking off LDK and increases HDL. We can have it with whole grain bread spread all over or we can just have it in its organic form as it is one of the best cholesterol reducing food.

Dark Chocolates

 

Dark chocolates are rich in flavanoids and oleic acids, so it is really a good option for all the chocolate lovers. Just 2 pieces of 70-80% of dark chocolates are enough for serving the cause.

Fenugreek Seeds

 

Fenugreek seeds provides 3 way profit; they contains saponins that reduce the absorption of cholesterol by our body and also reduces further formation of cholesterol in our body.
Besides saponins, fenugreek seeds are also a good source of fibers.
The best practice of its consumption includes- soaking 1 cup of fenugreek seeds overnight and then ingesting them over an empty stomach in the morning.

This was all about the cholesterol reducing foods, which will definitely keep you LDL or bad cholesterol in check. These foods in combination with other healthy habits such as drinking lots of water and exercising daily will surely keep your whole body healthy. So follow this cholesterol diet to stay healthy forever.