Your diet plays the most important role in managing your cholesterol levels. Making a few conscious food choices can remarkably lower your cholesterol levels. Many food items help to reduce high cholesterol such as fruits, whole grains, green vegetables, colourful fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, etc. All these items have good fats in them and should be made a part of your daily diet for a healthy heart. Read on to learn about more healthy food options that lower high cholesterol levels in the body:
- Oats: Oatmeal has been known to lower cholesterol levels and is used worldwide for its health benefits. Oats are a good breakfast option as it gives you around 2 grams of soluble fibre. Mix some curd or milk, fruits, seeds, and nuts with oats and your super healthy breakfast is ready! Oats have become very popular since they are a rich source of dietary fibre.
- Beans: Beans keep you feeling full for a long and are packed with essential fibres. They also take time to get digested which helps you in losing weight. There are many varieties of beans available in the market for you to choose from. Beans are a dietary staple in many Western countries.
- Nuts: Nuts have a lot of nutrients and minerals that are very healthy for the heart—these help in reducing high cholesterol levels if consumed daily. Eating almonds, walnuts, peanuts, etc. is essential to lower LDL. One can easily find many varieties of nuts in the market these days. Having nuts regularly enhances weight loss as they are high in energy and good fats. Nut makes you feel fuller as they take time to digest thus helping to suppress hunger.
- Fruits and Berries: Fruit is an essential addition to your diet in order to have a healthy heart. A lot of fruits have soluble fibres, which lowers cholesterol levels. Fruits aid in curbing the production of cholesterol by the liver. A type of soluble fibre is found in certain fruits including apples, grapes, citrus fruits, and strawberries. Fruit also prevents heart disease due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
- Fatty fish: Eating fish regularly can lower LDL and is packed with omega-3 fats. Omega-3s help in reducing triglycerides in the bloodstream and safeguard the heart from beating abnormally. Fish is a very good source of protein and has a minimal amount of saturated fats. Regularly eating fatty fish, reduces the chances of a stroke or a heart disease to a great level.
- Garlic: Garlic is packed with medicinal benefits and has been used since ages to heal quite a few diseases. It is a plant compound called allicin which stores the essential nutrients. Taking garlic daily in your diet can cut down cholesterol levels in the body. Garlic also lowers blood pressure in people with high blood pressure elevated levels.
To sum it all up, heart disease is the leading cause of death. Having spiked levels of cholesterol can cause heart attacks and are caused due to eating unhealthy. By having a healthy diet, you are reducing the amount of fats which will reduce the risk of heart disease. A lifestyle with adequate sleep and proper rest makes you live longer and have a healthy body.
