With fast pace lifestyle and hectic schedules, eating habits and diets are consist of junk foods and lacks nutrients. That is why these days high cholesterol issues have become common. And most people seek treatment with medicines. It’s would appropriate to consult a doctor and follow proper medications.
But only medications won’t be helpful because eating habits and physical activity also play a crucial role in maintaining health. Therefore healthy diet and proper exercise are also required to maintain an appropriate level of cholesterol. Dietary supplements are also helpful to retain an ideal level of cholesterol. Relying only on medications would not be as effective as maintaining a proper diet along with medications.
So here’s s list of approved dietary supplements and foods to lower cholesterol levels.
1. Fatty Fish
Fish intake for two to three times in a week is believed to be good for lowering the LDL (low-density lipoprotein) in two different ways. One by substituting the meat, that has saturated fats that boost LDL cholesterol and. Second, it delivers omega-3 fats that also aid in lowering LDL cholesterol.
- Beans
Beans are substantially rich in one of the fibers aiding indigestion. The soluble fiber is highly found in beans. Undoubtedly, beans take a longer time to digest, yet they are healthy and believed to be useful to control high cholesterol levels. The Pinto beans help to reduce the blood cholesterol levels. As per the study intake of 1/2 cup of pinto beans, a day for about two months would significantly be helpful in reducing cholesterol levels and especially “bad” LDL cholesterol.
- Oats
One of the healthiest foods that are easy to add to diet is oats. Having a bowl of oats in the morning daily would not only lower the cholesterol but would enrich the body with healthy fibers and significantly helps in losing weight. Though oats are healthy for the body that may taste bland taste. Adding a banana or strawberry would be helpful in making the meal tastier.
- Foods Rich In Sterols & Stanols
Foods rich in sterols and stanols are helpful in reducing LDL cholesterol especially for people who have genetically high cholesterol levels. Sterols & stanols are extracted out of plants and they gum up the ability of our body to absorbs cholesterol. 2 grams of plant stanols and sterols per day can lessen the level of cholesterol (LDL) by approximately 10%.
- Vegetable oils
Replacing the regular and saturated oils rich in fats with vegetable oils would be a better option to lower cholesterol with dietary changes. Vegetable oils that consist of polyunsaturated fat and linoleic acid significantly help in controlling cholesterol levels. That is how they protect the heart and hence improve health. Corn and sunflower have a greater extent of linoleic acids.
So, these were some food items that can be easily added to regular meals and would help you control the level of cholesterols. It would always be better to avoid a high intake of medicines when healthy meals can be taken.
To retain a healthy and fit body there are many factors that play a vital role. But only learning the factors won’t be helpful. Therefore, we at Fitnesshealth are here to provide you with more informative articles. To stay updated with more health and fitness-related content visit our website at https://fitnesshealth.co/.
