Overcoming high cholesterol

Exclusive Information For Overcoming High Cholesterol

Overcoming high cholesterol can be equated to overcoming the greediness for meat or meat products that contain high amounts of cholesterol. If you are fond of having poached or fried eggs for breakfast, you should also know that a single egg yolk contains 235 mg of cholesterol. Same is the case with dairy products, especially cheese that is rich in cholesterol. Remember, high cholesterol in the blood is not good – it can be bad news for the heart, and it can cause other health problems too.

So what should you eat if you are planning to overcome your high cholesterol levels? Here is a list of some foods, beverages and herbs that have a proven track record of reducing the cholesterol levels. But before you change your eating plan, you should get a test done to confirm that your cholesterol levels are indeed high.

Foods That Help You In Overcoming High Cholesterol

If you are serious about overcoming high cholesterol levels in your blood, you should switch over to fruits, nuts, vegetables and fish. Yes, researchers have supported the cholesterol-lowering benefits of eating fish such as salmon, mackerel and others like this because of the abundance of omega-3 fatty acids in them.

However, don’t be gluttonous with fish alone in the hope of pulling down the cholesterol overnight since there are quite a few other food items that can help you as well. Eat, for instance, a bowl of oatmeal that contains soluble fiber – this can reduce the low-density lipoprotein or LDL, which has the bad reputation of being called the ‘Bad Cholesterol’. Nevertheless, the friendly soluble fiber is also available in apples, barley, pears and prunes.

Psyllium and kidney beans also contain good amounts of soluble fibers. Studies have revealed that soluble fibers are capable of reducing the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines. Since 10 grams of soluble fiber a day can substantially reduce LDL cholesterol, consuming one and a half cup of cooked oatmeal (6 grams of fiber) with sweet-smelling bananas added to it (4 grams of fiber) can help you immensely.

Researchers have also found that certain kinds of nuts, especially walnuts have the capacity of overcoming the problem of high cholesterol in the bloodstream. Being rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts can keep the blood vessels healthy and pliable. Of course, almonds and pistachios also possess similar qualities. Published reports from the FDA recommend consuming nuts that include hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios, almonds, pecans, pine nuts and walnuts, at least twice a week for keeping cholesterol under control.

Surprisingly enough, people in the United States have probably known about the cholesterol reducing properties of olive for a very long time, as they would invariably garnish a gin+ vermouth Martini with an oval olive settling at the bottom. Even the olive oil is reputed to contain a potent mix of antioxidants that lowers the LDL or the bad cholesterol while leaving the HDL or the good cholesterols intact. Olive oil can be introduced into a cholesterol-healthy diet either at the time of cooking or in making a salad dressing. However, only the “extra-virgin” olive oil from the Italian ports should be used for obtaining the best result.

Beverages Can Help You As Well To Overcome High Cholesterol

Beverages including apple juice, orange juice, yogurt drinks (butter milk) fortified with plant sterols can help in overcoming high cholesterol by at least 10%. The quantity of plant sterol needed daily to counteract high cholesterol levels can be found in 8-ounce servings that contains plant sterol fortified in fruit juice. Reducing high cholesterol to maintain good health is after all not so difficult, provided you know how to tackle the situation.