Monday, December 17, 2012

15 Foods That Lower Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol is one of body fat (lipid) which is essential for the activity of cell membranes, make hormones, vitamins and bile acids. Cholesterol also helps in the transmission of nerve impulses.
The level of cholesterol in the blood depends on what you eat and how your body makes cholesterol in the liver. Having too much cholesterol in the blood is not a disease, but it can lead to hardening and narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) in the cardiovascular system.
There are two kinds of cholesterol: the bad is called low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and good is called high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL can contribute to heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases. HDL removes excess LDL in your blood and bring it to the liver for pembuangan.Avocadophoto © 2007 ingserban | more info (via: Wylio)
Normal blood cholesterol is less than 5 mmol / l. If between 5 and 6.5 mmol / l, you can reduce it with diet. If higher than 6.5 mmol / l you have to take medicine, but to adjust your diet. Here are 15 foods that are beneficial to lower cholesterol in your blood.

    
Nuts. Walnuts, almonds and other nuts can reduce blood cholesterol. Research has shown that eating a few walnuts every day can lower your cholesterol by 27 percent. According to the watchdog U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), consuming about a handful (42.5 grams) of almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, may reduce the risk of heart disease. The content of Omega-3 fats and antioxidants in nuts work to rehabilitate the arterial damage caused by saturated fats.

    
Green tea. Research in Japan found that theanine in green tea beneficial to increase good cholesterol and prevent the formation of bad cholesterol. You should drink at least four cups of sugar-free green tea each day to get the benefits.

    
Tomato. Drinking two glasses of tomato juice a day lowered bad cholesterol from your body significantly.
    
Fruit Wine. Red grapes increase good cholesterol. It is recommended to drink two glasses of grape juice every day.
    
Blueberry. Blueberries contain a large number of substances that fight bad cholesterol. Compounds in blueberries (pterostilbene) may help lower cholesterol as effectively as commercial drugs with fewer side effects.
    
Plum. Such as blueberries, plums have a huge amount of material that lowers cholesterol.
    
Soy products. Soy products such as soy milk, tofu and tempeh not only reduces your cholesterol, but also rich in protein.
    
Garlic. Garlic has a positive effect on your bad cholesterol while maintaining good cholesterol. Many clinical trials have looked at the role and benefits of garlic on cardiovascular disease, primarily by lowering total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. American Dietetic Association recommends that the health benefits of garlic, we should consume 600-900 mg (about 1 clove fresh) per day.
    
Olive oil. Olive oil can reduce bad cholesterol from your body. Researchers at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain) found that a diet enriched in olive oil help lower bad cholesterol (LDL).

    
Coconut Oil. Research Dr. Mary Enig MS of Nutritional Sciences and other research mentions that natural coconut oil (non-hydrogenated) increase the good cholesterol (HDL).
    
Avocado. Unsaturated fat in avocados is the kind of healthy because it can increase your HDL cholesterol levels.

    
Flaxseed oil. Flaxseed oil can lower blood pressure in men with high cholesterol. In the three-month study on 59 middle-aged men, those who ate flaxseed oil supplement daily blood pressure decreased significantly.
   
 Fish and fish oil. A study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that people with type 2 diabetes who consumed high doses of fish oil over nine weeks lowered the concentration of cholesterol in their body.

    
Pomegranates. A study by the National Academy of Sciences (USA) showed that pomegranate juice reduces cholesterol plaque buildup and increases the production of nitric oxide, which helps reduce arterial plaque.

    
Yogurt with probiotics. Several studies have shown that the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus reuteri actually help lower cholesterol. They work by preventing the reabsorption of cholesterol back into the blood stream.

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