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11 fæðutegundir til lækkunar kólesteróls

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11 fæðutegundir til lækkunar kólesteróls

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Foods that make up a low cholesterol diet can help reduce high levels

It's easy to eat your way to an alarmingly high cholesterol level. The reverse is true, too - changing what foods you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the armada of fats floating through your bloodstream.

Doing this requires a two-pronged strategy: Add foods that lower LDL, the harmful cholesterol-carrying particle that contributes to artery-clogging atherosclerosis. At the same time, cut back on foods that boost LDL. Without that step, you are engaging in a holding action instead of a steady - and tasty - victory.

Add these foods to lower LDL cholesterol

Different foods lower cholesterol in various ways. Some deliver soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Some give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the body from absorbing cholesterol.

1. Oats. An easy first step to improving your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for another half-gram. Current nutrition guidelines recommend getting 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day, with at least 5 to 10 grams coming from soluble fiber. (The average American gets about half that amount.)

2. Barley and other whole grains. Like oats and oat bran, barley and other whole grains can help lower the risk of heart disease, mainly via the soluble fiber they deliver.

3. Beans. Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. They also take awhile for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. That's one reason beans are a useful food for folks trying to lose weight. With so many choices - from navy and kidney beans to lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, and beyond - and so many ways to prepare them, beans are a very versatile food.

4. Eggplant and okra. These two low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber.

5. Nuts. A bushel of studies shows that eating almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and other nuts is good for the heart. Eating 2 ounces of nuts a day can slightly lower LDL, on the order of 5%. Nuts have additional nutrients that protect the heart in other ways.

6. Vegetable oils. Using liquid vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower, safflower, and others in place of butter, lard, or shortening when cooking or at the table helps lower LDL.

7. Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits. These fruits are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that lowers LDL.

8. Foods fortified with sterols and stanols. Sterols and stanols extracted from plants gum up the body's ability to absorb cholesterol from food. Companies are adding them to foods ranging from margarine and granola bars to orange juice and chocolate. They're also available as supplements. Getting 2 grams of plant sterols or stanols a day can lower LDL cholesterol by about 10%.

9. Soy. Eating soybeans and foods made from them, like tofu and soy milk, was once touted as a powerful way to lower cholesterol. Analyses show that the effect is more modest - consuming 25 grams of soy protein a day (10 ounces of tofu or 2 1/2 cups of soy milk) can lower LDL by 5% to 6%.

10. Fatty fish. Eating fish two or three times a week can lower LDL in two ways: by replacing meat, which has LDL-boosting saturated fats, and by delivering LDL-lowering omega-3 fats. Omega-3s reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream and also protect the heart by helping prevent the onset of abnormal heart rhythms.

11. Fiber supplements. Supplements offer the least appealing way to get soluble fiber. Two teaspoons a day of psyllium, which is found in Metamucil and other bulk-forming laxatives, provide about 4 grams of soluble fiber.

Reduce cholesterol levels by avoiding these foods

Harmful LDL creeps upward and protective HDL drifts downward largely because of diet and other lifestyle choices. Genes play a role, too - some people are genetically programmed to respond more readily to what they eat - but genes aren't something you can change. Here are four things you can:

Saturated fats. Typical sources of saturated fat include animal products, such as red meat, whole-fat dairy products, and eggs, and also a few vegetable oils, such as palm oil, coconut oil, and cocoa butter. Saturated fat can increase your levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol. But it has some benefits, too - it lowers triglycerides and nudges up levels of "good" HDL cholesterol.

The role of saturated fat in heart disease is currently under debate. For now, it's best to limit your intake of saturated-fat-rich foods.

Trans fats. The right amount of trans fats is zero! That's why the FDA banned trans fats from the U.S. food supply.

Trans fats are a byproduct of the chemical reaction that turns liquid vegetable oil into solid margarine or shortening and that prevents liquid vegetable oils from turning rancid. These fats have no nutritional value - and we know for certain they are bad for heart health. Trans fats increase LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels while reducing levels of HDL cholesterol.

Weight and exercise. Being overweight and not exercising affect fats circulating in the bloodstream. Excess weight boosts harmful LDL, while inactivity depresses protective HDL. Losing weight if needed and exercising more reverse these trends.

Putting together a low cholesterol diet

When it comes to investing money, experts recommend creating a portfolio of diverse investments instead of putting all your eggs in one basket. The same holds true for eating your way to lower cholesterol. Adding several foods to lower cholesterol in different ways should work better than focusing on one or two.

A largely vegetarian "dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods" substantially lowers LDL, triglycerides, and blood pressure. The key dietary components are plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains instead of highly refined ones, and protein mostly from plants. Add margarine enriched with plant sterols; oats, barley, psyllium, okra, and eggplant, all rich in soluble fiber; soy protein; and whole almonds.

Of course, shifting to a cholesterol-lowering diet takes more attention than popping a daily statin. It means expanding the variety of foods you usually put in your shopping cart and getting used to new textures and flavors. But it's a "natural" way to lower cholesterol, and it avoids the risk of muscle problems and other side effects that plague some people who take statins.

Just as important, a diet that is heavy on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts is good for the body in ways beyond lowering cholesterol. It keeps blood pressure in check. It helps arteries stay flexible and responsive. It's good for bones and digestive health, for vision and mental health.
For more information, read "How to lower your cholesterol without drugs." image: Giovanni Boscherino | Dreamstime.com

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11 foods that lower cholesterol - Harvard Health

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It's easy to eat your way to an alarmingly high cholesterol level. The reverse is true, too - changing what foods you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the armada of fats floating through your bloodstream. Doing this requires a two-pronged strategy: Add foods that lower LDL, the harmful cholesterol-carrying particle that contributes to artery-clogging atherosclerosis.

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You can begin to reduce your "bad" LDL cholesterol naturally by making a few simple changes in your diet.

Image:Thinkstock

You don't have to follow an all-or-nothing approach. It's really a matter of common sense.
-Kathy McManus,
director, Department of Nutrition, Brigham and Women's Hospital

If your cholesterol is creeping upward, your doctor has probably told you that diet and exercise-the traditional cornerstones of heart health-could help to bring it down. And if you'd prefer to make just one change at a time to lower your cholesterol naturally, you might want to begin with your diet. A major analysis of several controlled trials involving hundreds of men and women found that dietary changes reduced LDL and total cholesterol while exercise alone had no effect on either. (However, adding aerobic exercise did enhance the lipid-lowering effects of a heart-healthy diet.)

The people in the studies followed a variety of diets, from Mediterranean to low-fat to low-calorie. However, the most effective diets substituted foods with the power to lower cholesterol for those that boost cholesterol. According to Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Brigham and Women's Hospital, eating with your LDL in mind doesn't have to be an exercise in self-deprivation. While you may have to say goodbye to a few snacks and fast foods, you can replace them with others that are equally satisfying. "You don't have to follow an all-or-nothing approach. It's really a matter of common sense," she says. She suggests a few ways to start getting your cholesterol under control and keep it normal.

1. Weed out trans fats and saturated fats

There is so much evidence implicating trans fats in heart disease. "The first thing we do when I'm counseling patients is to go over all the sources of trans fats in their diet and make substitutions," McManus says.

Trans fats are created by adding hydrogen to a liquid fat to help it solidify. Food manufacturers started using trans fats because they extend the shelf life of packaged baked goods. Fast-food purveyors took to them because they can be reused again and again. Although public pressure has forced the food industry to phase out trans fats, they haven't disappeared entirely. To avoid eating them inadvertently, scrutinize the labels on food packages before you put them in your shopping cart. If you see "partially hydrogenated" in the list of ingredients, pass that product by. If trans fats aren't banned from restaurants in your area, ask if the cook uses partially hydrogenated oil before you order.

Saturated fats and dietary cholesterol, which are derived primarily from animal products, aren't exactly heart-healthy, but it's all right to eat them in small amounts. McManus says that because eggs are such a good source of nutrients, it's okay to have as many as four yolks a week and whites as often as you like. She also gives a nod to red meat, shrimp, lobster, high-fat cheeses, butter, and organ meats-but only to small portions of each one every couple of weeks or so.

2. Eat more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats

Both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids help lower LDL. Most plant-derived oils, including canola, safflower, sunflower, olive, grapeseed, and peanut oils, contain both. Fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, trout, herring, and mackerel), seeds, nuts, avocados and soybeans are also great sources.

3. Go crazy with colorful fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables have scads of ingredients that lower cholesterol-including fiber, cholesterol-blocking molecules called sterols and stanols, and eye-appealing pigments. The heart-healthy list spans the color spectrum-leafy greens, yellow squashes, carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, plums, blueberries. As a rule, the richer the hue, the better the food is for you.

4. Avoid refined sugars and grains

Whole grains are another good source of fiber. Instead of refined flour and white rice, try whole-wheat flour and brown or wild rice. Old-fashioned oatmeal is also a good choice, but not the quick-cooking versions, which have had much of the fiber processed out.

And don't substitute sugar for fat. "It's one of the worst choices you can make," McManus warns. Food manufacturers may boost the sugar content of low-fat salad dressings and sauces to add flavor. If you see sugar, corn syrup, or any word ending in "ose" near the top of the list of ingredients, choose a higher-fat version without trans fats instead.

5. Remember to count your calories

All fats, whether good or bad, have nine calories per gram-about 100 calories a tablespoon. While you switch to a heart-healthy diet you may need to keep tabs on your calorie intake for a while.
For more information, check out "11 foods that lower cholesterol."

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How to lower your cholesterol without drugs - Harvard Health

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Image:Thinkstock You don't have to follow an all-or-nothing approach. It's really a matter of common sense. -Kathy McManus,director, Department of Nutrition, Brigham and Women's Hospital If your cholesterol is creeping upward, your doctor has probably told you that diet and exercise-the traditional cornerstones of heart health-could help to bring it down.

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Grein um tengsl milli slæma kólesterólsins og krabbameins í blöðruhálskirtli

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High Cholesterol is a Risk Factor for Prostate Cancer - Prostate.net

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Researchers who study how prostate cells mutate into prostate cancer hypothesize that cholesterol plays an important role in nurturing and spurring the growth of prostate cancer cells. Just as cholesterol helps healthy cells develop, cancerous cells likewise synthesize this lipid for the same purpose.