The high cholesterol level in the body can be potentially harmful to the body. In order to protect yourself from the dangers of heart disease, you need to have the right diet to lower cholesterol. Bringing your body to a healthy level means getting the perfect methods of a diet to lower cholesterol. Five essential foods are considered as important assets to the diet. These foods are the oatmeal, the oat bran, the walnuts and almonds, and fish products or any food that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
1. Oatmeal And Oat Bran
It has been discovered in medical research that soluble fibre is needed in a diet to lower cholesterol. This is because the fibre is noted to increase the excretion processes of the cholesterol from the intestines. Foods like apples, pears, barley, kidney beans and prunes are rich in this nutrient. Dieticians suggest a ten gram inclusion of foods rich in fibre as part of the diet to lower cholesterol.
2. Nuts
Walnuts and almonds are foods that are rich in polyunsaturated fats. Thus, this will help the diet to lower cholesterol to remove excess cholesterol from the system.
However, it is important to note that these foods are rich in calories and only a handful of these nuts should be taken as part of the diet to lower cholesterol. This food, if taken lightly, should not increase your weight. Experts suggest that this food will be a good substitute for the saturated filled products such as cheese, butter, and meat.
3. Fish
The diet to lower cholesterol levels should have fish as part of the menu. In fact, it is recommended that fish should be taken as part of the meal at least twice. These are foods that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that will reduce blood pressure and removes the risks of blood clots. Fish that are suggested to be taken as part of the diet to lower cholesterol includes lake trout, herring, sardines, tuna and salmon. For a better and healthier habit of eating, it is suggested that you bake or grill the fish. The omega 3 component is also found in ground flaxseed and canola oil. The diet to lower cholesterol can also be enhanced with lean meat and vegetables as a substitute for fish.
4. Olive Oil
Olive oil is a good part of the diet to lower cholesterol. Using it as a substitute when basting and cooking meat or vegetables is a good way to reduce the cholesterol content. For expert chefs, they suggest using extra olive virgin oil as it is more organic and less processed. Thus, this will eventually contain anti-oxidants that will help the body.
5. Foods Fortified With Plant Sterols
The sterols are those substances that are found in plants, which help the body in blocking the absorption of oil. Products that are rich in this nutrient are the margarine, orange juices and yogurts. The diet to lower cholesterol that includes these food products will help the body in combating the presence of cholesterol. Dieticians suggest that a 2 gram inclusion of the sterols in the diet to lower cholesterol will be a big help in cutting down fat.