Veggie Blog

A diet to lower cholesterol

Cholesterol is one of the best-known risk factors for heart attacks. High blood cholesterol levels raise the risk of heart disease and often go together with weight problems. Despite its bad image, this waxy, fat-like substance, made in the body by the liver, serves a number of vital functions that many people do not know about.

Basically, there are two types of cholesterol: Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is the bad kind of cholesterol, which can build up in the walls of your blood vessels and so increase the risk of a heart attack or heart disease. Studies show that a diet high in saturated fat is a main dietary cause of a raised LDL cholesterol level. HDL is the good type, which helps clear LDL cholesterol out of the blood stream and so reduces the risk of heart disease. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables, with regular fish, is part of a heart-healthy way of eating, although omega-3 fats from fish oil mainly lower triglycerides and have only a small effect on HDL.

Although diet is the main reason for high cholesterol levels, experts say that other factors such as genetics, lack of exercise or regular physical activity, obesity, an unhealthy lifestyle such as excessive drinking and smoking, and hormones can also push cholesterol levels up.

Getting started

Cholesterol is a growing concern for the health of millions of people. Experts say that adults from the age of 20 should be more concerned about their cholesterol levels and have them checked every few years, and that everyone should do what they can to lower LDL cholesterol. It is quite hard to stick to the needed changes, but experts say the problem can be controlled with the right diet to lower cholesterol.

Studies show that a good diet to lower cholesterol can reduce a person’s risk of heart disease while getting rid of bad fats, because it emphasizes heart-healthy foods. But besides following a proven low cholesterol diet, the most important thing is to know the right foods and to eat them.

Diet tips that help

Experts say that a diet to lower cholesterol includes whole grains, especially whole-grain breads and cereals, fish rich in omega-3 such as salmon and tuna, a variety of fruits and leafy vegetables, nuts, and the like. Here are other effective ways of lowering cholesterol through diet:

1. Make sure that you see your doctor before starting out on a low cholesterol diet, so that he or she can do the proper examinations and assess your general health.

2. You can lower your cholesterol level by replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat: choose lean cuts, skinless poultry and low-fat dairy products instead of fatty meat and whole-fat milk products.

3. Cut back on refined carbohydrates found in bakery products, pasta and sugary or sugar-added foods.

4. When eating out, ask the waiter for healthy substitutions such as steamed or boiled preparations. If possible, pick lean meat, fish or skinless chicken that is broiled, baked, grilled, steamed or poached instead of fried, and ask for lots of vegetable side dishes and fresh fruit desserts.

5. Cut back on butter and hard stick margarines. Eggs contain cholesterol too, but for most people the saturated fat in the rest of the diet matters more, so ask your doctor how many eggs are right for you.

6. Use plant-based oils such as vegetable, corn and olive oil when cooking instead of butter or other solid fats.

7. Add plenty of garlic when you are preparing dishes, as it gives flavor without fat. Some studies suggest a small effect on cholesterol, but the evidence is not strong, so do not rely on it.

8. Do not count on vitamin supplements to lower cholesterol. Vitamin E and vitamin C have not been shown to do it, and niacin (vitamin B3) works only in large doses that need a doctor’s supervision.