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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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What To Eat To Prevent High Cholesterol And Heart Disease? High blood cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. This is because excess cholesterol can form plaque between layers of artery walls, and the plaques can break open and cause blood clots. If a clot blocks an artery that feeds the brain, it causes a stroke. If it blocks an artery that feeds the heart, it causes a heart attack. There are 2 types of cholesterol, namely the good (HDL, high-density lipoprotein) and the bad (LDL, low-density lipoprotein). Too high the LDL or inadequate HDL can all put one at risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all cells of the body. Human body, and especially the liver, makes all the cholesterol it needs. But cholesterol can also be found in foods from animal sources, like meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products. As such, making healthy eating choices is paramount. For instance, when one eats a diet high in saturated and trans fats, the liver will produce more cholesterol. Recent trials that tested the impact of specific foods on blood cholesterol found that eating more nuts, legumes, olive oil, and plant sterols can help reduce blood cholesterol. After reviewing 25 trials, it was found that eating 67 grams of nuts a day cut the total cholesterol by 5.1 percent and reduce LDL by 7.4 percent. Bigger improvement was seen in people with higher LDL cholesterol or who were not overweight. Nuts are high in protein, and high in varying amounts of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fat. Half a cup of nuts contains 400 calories. To avoid weight gain, one should eat nuts instead of another food, or eat less each day but just have it every day.
Kidney beans, baked beans, chickpeas, lentils and split peas are some examples of legumes and pulses that can help lower cholesterol levels. Results of 26 randomized control trials involving 1,037 people who had either normal or high cholesterol levels indicated that LDL cholesterol was cut by 5 percent with 130 grams of pulses (equivalent to one small can of baked beans) eaten each day. Being high in vegetable protein, pulses contain soluble and insoluble fibers that can lower cholesterol absorption in the gut and promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria in the large bowel. Compared to processed foods, legumes and pulses take longer to digest. Making them as part of a meal will tend to make people eat less, hence achieving better weight management. Olive oil contains a high proportion of monounsaturated fat. A trial randomly selected more than 7,400 men and women at high risk of heart disease to follow 3 diets: the Mediterranean diet plus extra-virgin olive oil, or Mediterranean diet plus nuts, or a control low-fat diet. A follow-up about 5 years later showed that those in the olive oil and nut groups had a 30 percent lower risk of heart attack, stroke or death from heart disease, compared to those on the control diet. Plant sterols are found in some plant foods including nuts and added to some commonly eaten foods like margarines, spreads or milk. Plant sterols compete with 2 other types of cholesterol for absorption in the gut: cholesterol found in foods and those that are made in the liver. Such competition can lower the amount of cholesterol ending up in the blood. A review concluded that 2 grams of plant sterols a day leads to an 8 to 10 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol. However, the type of fat the plant sterols are mixed with is important. A meta-analysis of 32 randomized control trials, involving about 2,100 people, found bigger reductions in total and LDL cholesterol with plant sterols added to margarines or spreads derived from canola or rapeseed oil, rather than sunflower or soya bean oil. Furthermore, one should avoid energy-dense and nutrient-poor junk foods. By replacing junk foods with healthy foods, one can lose weight, lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Besides watching diet, one should not forget to have regular exercises.
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