Top Cholesterol Lowering
Foods
1. Brown Rice
The oil in whole brown rice
has cholesterol lowering effect. It also supplies good amount of fiber,
magnesium and B vitamins for healthy heart. (Gerhardt 1998).
2. Apples
Apple pectin is a soluble
fiber that helps draw cholesterol out of the system. The flavonoids (Quercetin)
in apples act as a powerful antioxidant that seems to short-circuit the process
that leads “bad” LDL cholesterol to accumulate in the bloodstream. (Aprikian
2003).
3. Cinnamon
A study published in the
journal Diabetes Care found that half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day
significantly reduces blood sugar levels in people with type-2 diabetes. It
also reduces triglyceride, LDL, the bad cholesterol and the total cholesterol
level. (Sambaiah 2006).
4. Beans
Beans and vegetables are an
excellent source of soluble fiber and high in vegetable protein. By properly
combing beans with brown rice, seeds, corn, wheat you can create a complete
protein. Properly combined beans become an excellent substitute for red meat
protein that is high in saturated fat.
5. Soy
The top health promoting
components in soybeans are isoflavones and soluble fiber. Isoflavones act like
human hormone that can lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. All soy
products (soybeans, soy nuts, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, etc.) are complete
proteins. (Wong 1998).
6. Oats
Oatmeal contains soluble
fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad” cholesterol.
Five to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day decreases LDL cholesterol by about 5
percent. Eating 1.5 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 4.5 grams of fiber — enough
to lower your cholesterol. (Brown 1999).
7. Garlic
Garlic contains the
chemical allicin, which has been shown to kill bacteria and fungi, and
alleviate certain digestive disorders. It also lowers the blood-clotting
properties of blood. But the most notable attention garlic has received over
recent years is its possible usefulness in lowering cholesterol levels. (Yeh
2001).
8. Salmon
The major health components
in salmon include: Omega-3 fatty-acids and protein. These components have a
favorable cardiovascular effect. The American Heart Association recommends that
people include at least two servings of fish/week, particularly fatty fish
(salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, anchovies and herring), in their diets.
9. Walnuts
Walnuts can significantly
reduce blood cholesterol because they are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. Almonds appear to
have a similar effect, resulting in a marked improvement within just four
weeks. A cholesterol-lowering diet with a little less than 1/3 of a cup of
walnuts a day may reduce LDL cholesterol by 12%. (Ros 2004).
10. Grapes
Flavonoids in grapes
protect LDL cholesterol from free radical damage and reduce platelet clumping.
The LDL lowering effect of grapes comes from a compound that grapes produce
normally to resist mold. The darker the grape, the better.
Referrences:
1.
Gerhardt, A.L. et al. 1998. Full-Fat
Rice Bran and Oat Bran Similarly Reduce Hypercholesterolemia in Humans. J.Nutr.128:865-869.
2.
Aprikian, O. et al. 2003. Apple Pectin and a
Polyphenol-Rich Apple Concentrate Are More Effective Together Than Separately
on Cecal Fermentations and Plasma Lipids in Rats. J Nutr. 133:1860-1865.
3.
Sambaiah, K. et al. 2006. Effect of cumin, cinnamon,
ginger, mustard and tamarind in induced hypercholesterolemic rats. Molecular Nutr. 35:47-51.
4.
Brown, L. et al.1999. Cholesterol-Lowering
effects of dietary fiber: a meta-analysis. Am
J Clin Nutr. 69:30-42.
5.
Wong, W.W. et al.1998. Cholesterol-lowering
effect of soy protein in normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic men. Am J Clin Nutr. 68:13855-13895.
6.
Ros, E. et al. 2004. A Walnut Diet
Improves Endothelial Function in Hypercholesterolemic Subjects. Circulation. 10.1161.
7.
Yeh, Y.Y. et al. 2001. Cholesterol-Lowering
Effect of Garlic Extracts and Organosulfur Compounds: Human and Animal Studies.
J. Nutr. 989S-993S.
No comments:
Post a Comment