We all regularly hear from doctors that blood cholesterol levels should be maintained at a constant and fairly low level. As a result, this substance seems to many people far from medicine to be almost a source of evil, the presence of which in the body is associated exclusively with negative consequences. In fact, this is not true at all.
First of all, let us recall that cholesterol is an organic compound that not only enters the human body with food, but is also synthesized by our liver. It is necessary to prevent premature aging, and also helps the body absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins. According to doctors, normal blood cholesterol levels range from 3.6 to 5.2 mmol/l. Moreover, the upper limit may vary depending on the gender of the person and the age category to which he belongs.
One of the natural properties of cholesterol is the following: during blood circulation, it “sticks together”, as a result of which its accumulations, the so-called atherosclerotic plaques, appear on the walls of blood vessels. They interfere with normal blood circulation, resulting in oxygen starvation of the tissues of the brain, heart and other organs. Also, blocking of blood vessels with atherosclerotic plaques is fraught with strokes and heart attacks. Therefore, doctors insist that blood cholesterol levels should be regularly monitored.
What to do if the study shows an increase in cholesterol levels? In addition to medications, proper nutrition will help normalize the indicator. Nutritionists are well aware that a number of foods have “anticholesterol” properties—in other words, they help break down excess cholesterol.
Nuts
All types of nuts are an excellent source of healthy saturated fats. Essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 prevent the occurrence of atherosclerotic changes in blood vessels. Almonds and cashews contain magnesium, which increases the elasticity of blood vessels and helps dissolve plaques. In addition, most nuts contain flavonoid pigments - special plant compounds that help strengthen arterial walls. Peanuts, tree nuts and almonds help avoid fatty liver disease, as a result of which its function is normalized.
Please note that if cholesterol increases, nuts should be eaten unprocessed, since high temperatures destroy the beneficial substances in them.
General principles of proper nutrition for high cholesterol
High blood cholesterol is a danger to people. If the indicators are too high, the risk of complete blockage of blood vessels with atherosclerotic plaques, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, pathologies of the cardiovascular system, stomach, intestines and liver increases. Therefore, it is necessary to combat the level of organic matter in the blood that is outside the normal range.
Here are the basic rules for following an anti-cholesterol diet:
- limiting the amount of table salt in food to up to a gram per day - excess salt retains fluid in the tissues, increases the likelihood of edema and the development of kidney pathologies;
- fractional meals - it is better to eat 5-6 times a day, but in small quantities. This way you can create a constant feeling of fullness, even in the absence of fatty high-calorie foods in your diet;
- replacing animal fats with vegetable fats - you should completely avoid butter and margarine;
- giving up smoking and drinking alcohol - a person on an anti-cholesterol diet can drink half a glass of dry red wine a week, but no more;
- Regular consumption of vegetables and fruits is the key to removing harmful cholesterol from the body, cleaning blood vessels, strengthening their tone and increasing elasticity;
- physical activity in the form of running, walking, swimming or just walking in the fresh air.
Before listing foods that are useful for removing cholesterol and cleansing blood vessels, you should outline a list of dangerous and undesirable foods. It is necessary to completely avoid crackers, chips, ready-made sauces (including ketchup and mayonnaise), carbonated drinks and fast food.
Palm oil, which unscrupulous manufacturers often add to chocolate, is a source of trans fats - they are very harmful for high cholesterol. Fatty varieties of cheese and milk are prohibited, as is meat in the form of shish kebab. You should exclude offal (liver, lung, hearts, stomachs, etc.) and lard, although, if you really want to, a piece once a week will not do much harm. Crab sticks, caviar, sushi, dried and smoked fish are taboo.
Is alcohol bad for people with high cholesterol? Alcoholic drinks are capable of breaking down fats, but when alcohol passes through the liver, irreparable harm is caused to the organ in the form of the destruction of its particles. The kidneys, which are trying to work hard to break down alcohol, also suffer.
Under the influence of ethyl alcohol, blood vessels lose their elasticity and become defenseless against the deposition of cholesterol on their walls. As a result, blood supply to tissues, organs and the brain deteriorates. And for people who suffer from both hypertension and high cholesterol, alcohol is generally contraindicated, and not only while on a diet.
Flax seed
Flax seeds and oil from them have long been used to improve the health of the body. First of all, flax seeds contain fiber, which helps retain fat and cholesterol in the digestive system, as a result of which the content of the latter in the blood is significantly reduced. In addition, vitamins B3 have a positive effect on fat metabolism, thereby reducing the content of low-density lipoproteins in the blood, which, when oxidized, can form atherosclerotic plaques. Finally, the selenium found in flax seeds helps increase good cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol. You can use flax seed as an ingredient in salads, in the preparation of porridges and breadings.
Healthy foods
Most patients suffering from high cholesterol in the blood are overweight and have concomitant diseases such as diabetes, pathologies of the thyroid gland, heart and blood vessels. Also, obese people often suffer from pressure surges. To reduce the negative manifestations of these diseases, obese patients are advised to consume foods to lower cholesterol and burn their own fat tissue.
Water
This is the most affordable, but excellent remedy in the fight against cholesterol. Thanks to the consumption of water, metabolic processes in the body improve, metabolism accelerates, and fat is burned. If water enters the body in insufficient quantities, the excretory system cannot fully perform its work. For this reason, part of the accumulated toxins, waste and harmful substances enters the blood.
People who drink 2-2.5 liters of clean water daily reduce the risk of sludge in the body and the deposition of fat reserves
In response, the body tries to neutralize the poisoning on its own by storing fat for future use. And, conversely, with a lack of natural fluid, general weakness is noted, swelling appears, and the process of urine excretion is disrupted. Long-term use of diuretics leads to the leaching of beneficial substances from bone and muscle tissue, so it is necessary to treat not the effect, but the cause of the disorders.
Rice cereal
What foods remove cholesterol from the body? First of all, doctors talk about the benefits of regular consumption of cereals. Unpolished rice helps to get rid of extra pounds, cleanses blood vessels and intestinal tissues of harmful substances. Rice cereal is a fiber that swells when it enters the intestines, absorbing excess water and increasing calcium and magnesium reserves.
Thanks to the consumption of rice, you can not only reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood, but also improve the regulation of phosphorus-magnesium metabolism and improve the condition of the cardiovascular system. However, this only applies to unpolished rice, while instant cereals do not have any beneficial properties.
Dairy products
Products that lower blood cholesterol include fermented milk. To improve the functions of blood vessels, cleanse them, increase tone and elasticity, a person should receive a daily serving of fermented milk food - cottage cheese, kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt or yogurt. Lactic acid, which is contained in the listed products, stimulates the activity of the stomach and intestines, improves metabolic processes, makes blood vessels and even the skin more elastic.
If you have high cholesterol, nutritionists advise giving up fatty foods, including fermented milk. However, buying skim milk, cottage cheese or kefir will not benefit the body, and can even be harmful, since many of these products add special artificial substances that help reduce calories.
Garlic
The specific organic compounds contained in garlic increase immunity, fight microbial flora, and slow down the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the stomach. In addition, the root vegetable reduces blood cholesterol levels by 8–10% if you consume at least 1 clove per day, and preferably 2–3.
This root vegetable must be present in the diet of people suffering from high cholesterol levels.
In terms of getting rid of excess fat, the product is also effective because it improves metabolic processes. Garlic is consumed in crushed form as a seasoning for first and second courses and vegetable salads.
Green tea
This drink has long been appreciated by people around the world who want to lose weight, rejuvenate and improve their body health. Green teas contain 6 types of catechins - these are substances that have a beneficial effect on all organs and systems. Thus, epigallocatechin helps cleanse the vascular system throughout the body, improves cardiac activity, and reduces cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.
Additional confirmation that green tea is good for the heart and blood vessels is official statistics. In China, people suffer from cardiovascular diseases much less often because they drink 6-8 cups of this drink per day.
Coffee
Among the foods that quickly lower blood cholesterol levels, the most controversial is black coffee. Many doctors recommend that patients avoid the drink altogether, since it contains a large amount of caffeine. But the harm to the nervous system and blood vessels is not based on caffeine, but on cafestol, a substance released from the beans during repeated boiling.
For example, espresso is prepared by repeatedly brewing a portion of coffee, which is why the volume of cafestol in it increases significantly, and the substance is harmful to blood vessels. Instant coffee or ground coffee, but brewed only once, stops the development of cerebral vascular pathologies, helps remove excess cholesterol from the body and even reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Experts believe that a small amount of natural coffee daily helps strengthen the blood barrier, which protects the nervous system from harmful substances carried throughout the body through the bloodstream.
Grapefruit
This fruit contains a lot of pectin, plant proteases, fiber and organic compounds that are useful for many systems of the human body, in particular the liver. Regular consumption of grapefruit has the following effects:
Herbs to lower cholesterol
- lowering blood cholesterol;
- burning fat mass;
- acceleration of metabolic processes;
- fight against microbes, viruses and fungi;
- strengthening the immune system;
- reduction in total sugar.
The fact that grapefruit helps lower sugar and cholesterol levels confirms its effect on the body. Doctors advise eating one fruit at a time when you have a cold, during the recovery stage, or during excessive mental and physical stress. A person who regularly consumes grapefruits notices the disappearance of headaches, fatigue, improved mood and overall well-being.
A pineapple
Cholesterol-lowering foods definitely include pineapples. This product is rich in vitamins, microelements and substances that dissolve the accumulation of cholesterol on the vascular walls. Pineapple fruits help burn fat tissue, which is taken into account by manufacturers of various weight loss products that are in demand among women.
Why do many women like to go on pineapple diets? The components of the fruit break down fats, the pleasant taste gives a feeling of fullness, although the pineapple itself does not contain many calories. In addition to suppressing appetite and reducing body weight, the fruit helps strengthen intestinal function and naturally cleanse the body of toxins.
Bromelain is an organic substance of plant origin that has an anti-inflammatory effect, due to which blood vessels become stronger, are less susceptible to damage and accumulate cholesterol deposits on the walls.
Kiwi
It has been established that kiwis effectively reduce cholesterol in the blood, cleanse blood vessels from accumulations of harmful substances, and make capillaries elastic and less brittle. What causes this effect? Doctors have long begun to call kiwi a storehouse of vitamin C, along with lemons and oranges.
Regular consumption of fruit, 2-4 pieces per day, will significantly improve the well-being of any person
Ascorbic acid strengthens the walls of damaged blood vessels, restores their tone, removes minor damage, so that harmful lipids do not accumulate on the inside of the capillaries. Kiwi contains fiber, which improves digestion, magnesium, which stabilizes heart function, and potassium, which lowers blood pressure.
Enzymes and collagen, which kiwi fruits are rich in, help burn excess fat, improve the condition of facial skin, hair and nails, which is very important for women.
Papaya
It is very useful for women who want to lose weight and get rid of excess cholesterol in the blood to eat papaya regularly. The fruit contains a huge amount of vitamins, nonspecific lipases and macroelements that promote fat burning and break down harmful lipids entering the body.
You can eat papaya fresh or dried; it retains its beneficial properties. To achieve low cholesterol levels, the healthy fruit should be consumed before meals. This way you can activate the substances contained in papaya for enzymatic action and breakdown of food entering the body.
Raspberries
If your blood cholesterol and total sugar levels are high, fresh raspberries will help reduce these levels. The berry is rich in ascorbic and malic acids - they are involved in the process of cell respiration, strengthening capillaries, increasing their elasticity and tone. How do raspberries lower cholesterol and burn fat?
Carbohydrates are converted first into organic acids, and then into water and carbon dioxide; in the process of such transformations, malic acid is formed, which accelerates metabolism and dissolves excess fat. How else can raspberries help lower cholesterol? The berry contains fiber, which improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, which is very useful for people with constipation. As a result, the body is cleansed of waste, harmful substances and toxins.
Thanks to coumarins, the process of blood clotting is normalized, it becomes more fluid, and the risk of formation and separation of blood clots is prevented. Anthocyanins help strengthen vascular walls, increase capillary tone and prevent atherosclerosis. Vitamin P additionally provides blood vessels with the ability to resist and resist the formation of microscopic cracks in the walls.
Meat you shouldn't eat if you have high cholesterol
Doctors recommend avoiding fatty meats and fish, but many people understand this as a recommendation to completely eliminate these foods from the diet. This position is incorrect - the complete absence of meat in food can cause more harm - hemoglobin will decrease, dizziness will begin, leading even to fainting.
You can eat lean parts of beef, lamb, and calf meat. Fillet, tenderloin, shoulder, lumbar and thigh areas are more suitable. Before you start stewing or boiling meat, you should remove all fat from it. At the same time, you should avoid eating meat in the form of semi-finished products altogether - store-bought minced meat, sausage, frankfurters, and bacon contain the maximum amount of animal fat.
As you know, bad cholesterol is found in foods rich in animal fats.
For meat lovers, veal is a good choice - it consists of only 26% saturated fat. Fatty varieties of beef and pork can easily be replaced with poultry - chicken, turkey, chickens. You need to eat them after removing the skin and visible fat particles. If you want to fry poultry, it is better to choose vegetable oils, for example, cold-pressed olive oil.
It has been proven that the list of foods that can cleanse blood vessels and significantly reduce the risk of myocardial infarction includes fatty fish. Frequent consumption of such fish is not recommended for people with high cholesterol, but in order to clean the blood vessels, it is enough to eat fatty fish in portions 2-3 times a week.
Many people know that egg yolks are rich in cholesterol, so you should avoid them when switching to a low-cholesterol diet. But this organic compound is absent in proteins, so you can eat proteins without restrictions.
