What to Eat to Lower Cholesterol?
Dietician and Nutritionist, Jaslok Hospital, 13 years of experience
What is the meaning of Cholesterol?
Nowadays, the problem of high cholesterol is becoming more common among people because of their sedentary lifestyle. Whatever we eat in the diet has an effect on our body and consequently, elevated cholesterol increases the risk of heart diseases like heart attack, stroke, diabetes, etc.
There are two types of cholesterol in our body, good cholesterol, and bad cholesterol. If good cholesterol increases in the body, then it is considered good for health. However, if bad cholesterol increases, then it proves to be harmful to our health. (Know more about- What is Cholesterol? Symptoms and Side effects of High Cholesterol)
However, by making some changes in your lifestyle and diet, you can manage your cholesterol levels. Many people try many methods to reduce cholesterol, but they do not see significant results. Therefore, in today’s article, we are going to tell you in further detail what to eat and what not to eat to reduce cholesterol. ( Know more about- What is Pacemaker Surgery? )
- Foods good for High Cholesterol
- Foods to avoid in High Cholesterol
- Other tips for lowering High Cholesterol
Foods good for High Cholesterol
Some of the following foods can be included in the diet to reduce cholesterol. Let us explain further.
- Including whole grains – Whole grains are beneficial in reducing cholesterol levels. Whole grains contain a variety of nutrients and minerals like iron, fiber, folate, and niacin that helps to prevent the problems caused by high cholesterol. You can also include cereals like wheat, rice, corn in your diet. ( Know more about- Benefits and Side effects of Whole grains )
- Consume fruits – Fruits are low in calories and high in nutrients. Apart from this, they help in reducing the amount of fat. According to some research, fruits are rich in minerals like fiber, potassium, and vitamin C, which help in reducing the level of cholesterol in the body. Also, include fiber-rich fruits, then includes kiwi, apple, orange, and banana in your diet.
- Green vegetables – Green vegetables are beneficial for health and also help in controlling cholesterol levels. Apart from this, green vegetables have many nutritious elements like fiber, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, etc. In green vegetables, you can include spinach, fenugreek, etc. in your diet.
Foods to avoid in High Cholesterol
- Alcohol: Alcohol increases the calories in the body that causes weight gain. Apart from this, bad cholesterol increases due to weight gain and causes heart disease.
- Excessive consumption of certain foods, such as egg yolk, full fat milk products & red meat, can lead to an increase in bad cholesterol. All these foods should be consumed in moderation to keep the cholesterol levels under control.
- Processed foods like biscuits and pastries, fast food items like burgers and fried foods. (Know more about- How to Increase Metabolism? )
High Cholesterol leads to various heart conditions like – atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease and may lead to chest pain, palpitations and other symptoms of heart attack. In extreme cases, patients are advised to get heart check ups done and may be advised to get heart bypass surgery if the heart does not function properly.
Heart Bypass Surgery is done by some of the finest cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons in India, in different hospitals across the country. ( Know more about- Diet Guide For Heart Patients )
Other tips for lowering High Cholesterol
Only dietary changes cannot reduce cholesterol levels; some other changes are also necessary.
- If you smoke, then change your habit immediately because smoking can increase your cholesterol levels.
- To keep your body healthy, it is necessary to have a well-balanced diet, i.e., a diet containing all the nutritious elements. A good diet can reduce cholesterol levels and lower the risk of other diseases as well.
- A diet rich in fiber is beneficial in reducing cholesterol, so make sure to include fiber in the diet.
- Along with healthy food, one should do some physical activity daily like weight training, yoga, walking, etc. By doing all this, you can lower your cholesterol.
- A person should get at least seven to eight hours of sleep at night. Getting enough sleep reduces the risk of other health problems linked to cholesterol.
We hope we could answer your queries about Cholesterol Diet through this article.
You can contact a Dietician for more information about Diet for Lowering Cholesterol.
We only aim to give you information through the article. We do not recommend medication or treatment in any way. Only a doctor can give you the best advice and treatment plan.
