Cholesterol Cutters

High blood cholesterol is a common condition and poses a threat of increased risk to the heart. Diet and lifestyle play a very important role in maintaining the blood cholesterol levels. While an active routine is significant, a wise selection of foods is equally important to keep the levels within the normal range. Once increased, we may consider taking medicines to bring the levels down to normal, but a smarter approach is to combine the treatment with proper diet to help the medicines work perfectly. Mild increase in the cholesterol levels may be treated with diet modifications alone.

Some foods that help reduce the cholesterol levels are:

Nuts and seeds: Eating a handful of nuts everyday has a positive effect on cholesterol levels. Walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, flaxseeds and sunflower seeds are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and fiber which keep the blood cholesterol levels under check. Make sure that you take the nuts and seeds in their natural form and completely avoid salted, sugar coated or chocolate coated varieties.

Garlic: The wonderful bulb also called “The stinking rose” actually has many health benefits. Studies reveal that taking as less as just half a bud of garlic can reduce cholesterol by 9 - 12 percent. Apart from its cholesterol lowering effects, garlic also provides protection against infections, blood pressure and improves the blood clotting time.

Avocados: Avocados are a rich source of monounsaturated fats and oleic acid. These healthy fats along with the fiber of this fruit helps in lowering the LDL (bad) cholesterol level and increases the HDL (good) cholesterol level.

Oats:  Oatmeal, oat bran and oat flour are all equally good when it comes to their cholesterol lowering properties. Oats is loaded with soluble fiber which has an impact on LDL cholesterol. Upon digestion the fiber of oats sticks to the cholesterol molecules making it unavailable to be absorbed into the blood stream.

Green tea: It is the storehouse of a powerful antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that helps to decrease the LDL and triglyceride levels without affecting the HDL profile. Regular consumption of green tea also suppresses the formation of blood clots, hypertension and uncontrolled cell division which in some cases may even lead to cancer.

Lemon: Lemon has many health benefits. It is free of fat, sodium and cholesterol that make it the perfect food while one is busy watching his or her cholesterol levels. Limonoids present in lemon is found to reduce apolipoprotein B (apoB), the substance associated with higher levels of cholesterol. Lemon also supplies a substance called flavonoids, whose antioxidant properties reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol thus lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Fatty Fish: Fatty fishes like salmon, mackerel and sardines are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids and helps in lowering the triglyceride levels while improving the good cholesterol (HDL) profile. It is recommended to consume at least two servings of fatty fish every week. It is important to consider healthy cooking methods to avoid additional fat intake. Baking, steaming, grilling, boiling and roasting are the healthiest methods to cook fish.

Orange: Pectin found in oranges forms a gooey mass in the stomach that binds cholesterol and eliminates it from the body before it can enter the blood stream. Make sure you consume the entire fruit to get its benefits which go missing when one consumes only its juice.