Low Cholesterol Diet.
Knowing the harmful effects of cholesterol, when cholesterol levels are raised, it becomes essential that you educate yourself on how you can lower and maintain normal cholesterol. Most of the times, the raised cholesterol level can be brought down by eating cholesterol lowering foods and sticking to low cholesterol diets.
Your physician will prescribe you a diet of low cholesterol and will evaluate you for six months to determine whether you require medication or not. Most of the times, if you have followed a proper cholesterol diet plan and exercised as advised, your cholesterol levels can be brought down and medication may not be necessary. This cholesterol diet will consist of low cholesterol recipes which contain foods that reduce cholesterol and are low in fats.
Foods that Lower Cholesterol.
1)Foods rich in soluble fiber.
These top the list in importance. These foods reduce the absorption of cholesterol from the food that we eat. Their importance lies in the fact that these foods lower the LDL (the bad cholesterol) without lowering HDL (good cholesterol).
Foods rich in soluble fiber are:
- Whole Grains. Such whole grains include barley, buckwheat, bulgur, corn, millet, rice, rye, oats, sorghum, wheat and wild rice. (source: FDA News)
- Oatmeal and oat bran.
- Beans.
- Barley.
- Prunes.
- Psyllium.
- Pears.
- Apples.
How much soluble fiber do you need. All you need is about 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber in your every day diet. This reduces the LDL cholesterol by anywhere between 5% to 20%. As an example, one bowl of oatmeal contains 3gms of soluble fiber. A detailed list of foods and their soluble fiber content can found at http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/soluble-fiber-foods-list.html
oats
oatmeal.
2) Omega 3 fatty acids.
These fatty acids lower your LDL or bad cholesterol and increase your HDL or good cholesterol. They also have triglycerides lowering effect. They also reduce your blood pressure and blood clotting risks.
Rich food sources of Omega 3 fatty acids are mainly fish. These fish are to be baked or grilled. Avoid eating fried fish.
- Salmon.
- Sardines.
- Halibut.
- Mackerel.
- Herring.
- Lake trout.
- Tuna.
Small amounts of omega 3 fatty acids are also present in
- nuts,
- ground flaxseed and
- canola oil.
Picture of Flaxseed
How much Omega 3 fatty acids do you need.
According to the American Heart association, two servings of baked or grilled fish per week is recommended. If you do not eat fish, you could take a handful of nuts like walnuts per day. Do not exceed as nuts have high calorie content.
3) Sterol and Stanol fortified foods.
Sterols and Stanols are naturally occurring compounds found in fruits and plants. They are structurally similar to cholesterol. They are waxy in nature and not soluble in blood like cholesterol. They help by reducing the LDL and risk of cardiac disease. Many manufacturers add these compounds to their products. You, therefore find anything from milk to cookies to snack bars to fruit juices to margarine spreads fortified with sterol and stanol. Use discretion when consuming these foods fortified with sterol and stanol because some of them may be high in calories. Check the labels carefully.
How do Sterols and Stanols reduce LDL.
Being similar to cholesterol in nature, they interfere and block the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract. Cholesterol, therefore is excreted instead of being absorbed. Their action extends only to LDL: and they do not interfere with the levels of HDL or triglycerides.
Food Sources of Sterol and Stanol.
- Fruits.
- Vegetables.
- Legumes.
- Whole Grains or Cereals.
- Seeds
- Nuts.
- Vegetable oils.
How much Sterols and Stanols you need.
Upto to 2 grams of sterol and stanol is recommended in persons who have high LDL cholesterol levels. Fortified foods such as orange juices can be taken everyday if your LDL levels are high but stay around 2 gms. The labels on these products will help you to calculate your intake.
4)Nuts.
Nuts are rich in polyunsaturated fats which are the good or healthy fats. They also contain plant sterols, fiber and anti oxidants like Vitamin E and Selenium. Nuts reduce LDL cholesterol.
Such Common Nuts:
- Almonds.
- Walnuts.
- Peanuts.
- Pinenuts.
- Hazelnuts.
- Pistachionuts.
- Pecans.
Picture of walnuts.
How much nuts you need.
Just a handful or 1.5 ounces every day should be enough. Do not exceed because they are high in calories. ( as recommended by the FDA).
5) Extra Virgin Oil.
Extra virgin oil is preferred over virgin oil because it is less processed and its anti oxidant content is more than the normally processed oil. Due to its high anti oxidant content, olive oil reduces the LDL cholesterol without interfering with the HDL cholesterol levels.
How much Olive oil daily.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends 2 tablespoons or 23 grams of olive oil per day. You could use it as a marinade or a salad dressing. Please note that you should not exceed this recommended quantity because olive oil is high in calories.
6) Pomegranate juice
Pomegranate juice provides you with good quantities of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E and folic acid. It has very good anti oxidant properties and helps in reducing plaque formation on the arterial walls thereby preventing cardiac disease. It also increases nitric acid production in the body which again helps to keep the arteries clear. A glass of this juice everyday can do wonders for your heart.
7) Avocados.
Avocados contains healthy unsaturated fats which increase HDL (good cholesterol levels) and guards you against heart disease and diabetes as well. However, show discretion in eating the amount of this fruit as it is high in calorie content.
Picture of Avocados.
Blue Berries.
Blue berries contain a compound called pterostilbene which helps to lower LDL cholesterol.
Picture of Blue Berries.
9) Grape juice.
Due to its rich anti oxidant content, grape juice lowers LDL levels effectively by slowing oxidation of LDL cholesterol..
Absolutely Avoid Trans Fats containing foods.
These foods and their food sources are detailed in Trans Fats.
Summary:
If you have high LDL cholesterol levels or are prone to high cholesterol due to say, a hereditary trait, it is essential that you stick to the low cholesterol diet which consists of low cholesterol recipes and foods to lower cholesterol. Most of the time, following this cholesterol lowering diet will help you control your cholesterol level without any medication for cholesterol.
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