Bad cholesterol is a pain, isn’t it? When was the last time you tried getting rid of bad cholesterol but only quit because the process was too difficult or expensive? Well, we do agree that reducing bad cholesterol isn’t a straight forward and easy process that happens overnight. It requires your complete dedication and it takes time.
But then, what if there are certain foods which can make the process of reducing bad cholesterol from your body much easier? It would be great, wouldn’t it? If you really want to know what those magic foods are, then go ahead and read this article! Know more about bad cholesterol and how you can eliminate it!
What Is Bad (LDL) Cholesterol?
There are two essential types of cholesterol, bad (LDL) and good (HDL) (1) (2).
Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) Or Bad Cholesterol:
Usually, around two-thirds of the cholesterol is transported by LDL particles. These particles are like ferries, which transport cholesterol to different body parts as per the requirement. If you have an excess of LDL in your bloodstream, these particles dump the LDL in the arteries, causing blockages and even heart attacks. Many people refer to LDL as bad cholesterol for this particular ability of creating blockages. The only saving grace about LDL is that you can easily reduce the amount of LDL if you follow a regular fat-free diet (3).
How To Reduce Bad Cholesterol:
LDL cholesterol can lead to blocked arteries, which can lead to heart disease, stroke and other arterial diseases like arteriosclerosis. Let’s look at some foods that help you reduce bad cholesterol naturally.
1. Oatmeal, Oat Bran & High-Fiber Foods:
Oatmeal is rich in soluble fiber, an agent known to reduce LDL cholesterol. Having only 5-10 gms of soluble fiber can help reduce LDL cholesterol. You can even eat 1 ½ cups of cooked oatmeal, to get the right amount of fiber in your diet (4).
2. Fish And Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
Eating fish rich in omega-3s can be of great help in your quest to reduce LDL cholesterol. Some fish which contain the highest amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids include:
- Lake trout
- Mackerel
- Herring
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Halibut
- Albacore tuna
Remember to grill or bake the fish to ensure you don’t add any unwanted fats to the food. Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids include canola or ground flaxseed oil. (5)
3. Almonds, Walnuts And Others:
Almonds, walnuts and other types of nuts help reduce LDL. As nuts are also rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, they help keep the blood vessels unclogged.
It is recommended that you eat around 45-50 gms of nuts daily. By doing this, you can effectively reduce LDL cholesterol from your body (6).
4. Olive Oil:
Olive oil is rich in anti-oxidants, which help reduce “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. However, these antioxidants don’t reduce or flush the “good” (HDL) cholesterol from the body.
As extra virgin oil isn’t that refined or heavily processed it contains more antioxidants. In fact, the lighter the colour of the oil, the more processed it is (7).
5. Stanol Or Sterol Fortified Foods:
There are many foods available in the market, which are enhanced with stanols and sterols (plant chemicals) that usually inhibit cholesterol absorption.
Fruit juices, yogurt and some other foods contain added sterols, which can reduce more than 10 percent of the body’s LDL cholesterol (8).
Other Precautions:
Apart from increasing the above-listed foods in your diet, there are certain precautions that you should take to ensure that you maintain a low LDL cholesterol level.
Remember to:
1. Avoid Junk Food:
Junk food contains many trans-fats that usually increase the LDL cholesterol level in the body. Thus, the best thing to do is avoid junk food (9).
2. Avoid Sweets:
Sweets can increase blood sugar and as well as LDL cholesterol levels. If you are aiming to reduce the amount of LDL in your cholesterol, the best thing to do is avoid sweets.
Now that you know how to reduce bad cholesterol naturally, let us know if you’ll try these tips to stay healthy and happy! Do you know of any other foods or activities that one can use to lower bad cholesterol in the body? Share with us by commenting in the box below!
