Cholesterol is a fatty compound you generate in your liver. It’s included in certain foods too. Your body requires some cholesterol for proper functioning. Yet getting too much of the bad cholesterol — LDL — endangers you of experiencing a heart attack or stroke. Changing diet can play an important role in reducing your cholesterol and enhancing the fat armada that floats through your bloodstream. Below are several cholesterol-improving foods to protect your health.
1. Oats
Study provides proof that oats are the most effective choice among whole grains when it comes to decreasing cholesterol. Oatmeal includes soluble fiber, beta-glucan, which decreases the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol. It forms a gel when you eat beta-glucan which binds in the intestines to the cholesterol-rich bile acids. This tends to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood which is absorbed from the stomach. To make more bile your liver must take more cholesterol out of your blood, which also lowers your blood cholesterol.
2. Walnuts
While most varieties of nuts boast health benefits, walnuts’ unique fat makeup makes them especially helpful when it comes to lowering cholesterol. Researchers also discovered that incorporating walnuts to a balanced diet produces significant reductions in cholesterol, even for the short term. Walnuts are a good food for cardiovascular health, high in polyunsaturated fats and the only nut source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids.
3. Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C and antioxidants and improve immune function, protecting the skin from oxidative stress. These can improve cholesterol levels through boosting “healthy” HDL cholesterol and reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, primarily due to the high flavonoid, fiber and vitamin C amounts present in them.
4. Berries
Since they are rich in antioxidants, fruit is an ideal addition to a heart healthy diet, yet berries produce significantly higher amounts of antioxidants known as polyphenols. Eating fresh berries will dramatically minimize the concentration of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, which may help to increase “good” HDL cholesterol.
5. Fatty fish
Oily fish including salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel and trout are packed with omega-3 fatty acids — healthy fats unlike the bad saturated fat you get from other meats. These seafoods should be a part of a cardiac healthy diet for all. It has been shown that omega-3 fatty acids decrease triglycerides, which are a form of fat in the bloodstream, and improve cardiac health by raising “good” HDL cholesterol and decreasing the risk of inflammation and strokes.
