Low Cholesterol Diets - Foods to Avoid High Cholesterol

Low Cholesterol Diets - Foods to Avoid High Cholesterol

High cholesterol cases have risen over the years and this has been caused by the mere fact that most people do not take into account what they eat and how that food is beneficial to their bodies. These problems are caused by eating foods that are high in saturated fats and worse still if you consume large amounts of these foods on a daily basis. If you are looking to reduce the amount of this substance in your body, it should be well advised that the first approach to take is a change of your daily diet. What you eat will considerably elevate or lower your cholesterol levels.

Our bodies contain two types of cholesterol levels; these are the good (HDL) and the bad (LDL). Studies have shown that an increase in the bad type can be very harmful and even fatal; however this can be avoided if an individual is able to keep to a diet that raises the HDL levels in the body whose main function is to reduce the production and absorption of the bad type in the body. Foods that will keep you HDL levels high include; foods rich in soluble fiber for example, legumes, carrots, oats, barley and broccoli. Stanol esters found in soy beans and pine trees are very effective in reducing high levels of this substance. Other sources of stanols can be found in dressing, orange juice and certain dietary supplements.

Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, for instance, salmon, sardines, tuna and more help protect the linings of the arteries and they greatly reduce the bad type levels and raise the good type levels. Fruits and vegetables are always the most recommended in your daily diet for they are free of these fats. However, it should be noted that overcooking vegetables can lead to a substantial loss of nutrients which end up being replaced by saturated fats. Foods that are high in this substance may taste better than foods that are low in the same fats, but they cause the most harm. Through online research one will be able to find some good low cholesterol diet recipes that are healthy and yet just as tasty.