How Should You Eat To Control High Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a lipoprotein present in all cells of the body and is essential for a multitude of physiological processes. However, its excess could be harmful. Do you know how you should eat to control high cholesterol?
Hypercholesterolemia could increase the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Given this, the strategy is always to reduce the consumption of foods rich in trans fats. However, it must be taken into account that 90% of the cholesterol in the blood does not come from food but from the body itself . For this reason, the influence of diet on serum cholesterol is quite limited.
How to eat to control high cholesterol?
If you want to control high cholesterol for your health and well-being, you must learn to make better food choices and how to consume them. To help you with this, here are some guidelines.
Don’t suppress cholesterol from your diet
Yes, you read it right. It’s about doing just the opposite of what you thought. The body regulates cholesterol through negative feedback mechanisms, that is, the more cholesterol it has, the less it manufactures.
However, endogenous production can only be slowed by an increase in cholesterol from the diet. In any case, the intake of dietary cholesterol does not significantly alter the levels of this lipoprotein in the blood, according to an article published in the journal Nutrients .
However, you must be careful when choosing foods with cholesterol since some of them are harmful for other circumstances. This is because some of these products are also rich in trans fats. In this sense, the egg can be a good alternative.
Eat foods rich in omega 3 and omega 9
Omega 3 and Omega 9 modulate the production of cholesterol. In addition, omega 3 also reduces the synthesis of those proteins that transport it to the arteries and helps to eliminate cholesterol plaques that have already formed. Omega 3 can be easily obtained through foods such as olive oil.
In addition, these lipids have a high anti-inflammatory capacity, according to a study carried out in 2017. For this reason, their regular intake is associated with a reduction in the development of inflammatory and chronic diseases.
Reduce the consumption of high-GI carbohydrates
Insulin is capable of activating the mechanisms necessary to increase cholesterol synthesis. Therefore, it is essential to avoid the consumption of those foods that increase its production. These are, fundamentally, the so-called high-glycemic carbohydrates.
Eat foods capable of increasing HDL protein
HDL is the acronym for “high-density lipoprotein.” Although it is not a type of cholesterol (there is only one cholesterol) but rather a transporter, it appears in blood tests as “HDL cholesterol” and is commonly known as “good cholesterol”.
Its function is essential to keep cholesterol levels at bay, since it is responsible for transporting it to regions that can use or eliminate it. Therefore, increasing the consumption of foods capable of increasing HDL levels is a fundamental measure.
Take probiotics
Lactobacillus Reuteri has been shown to be effective in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia by increasing the elimination of bile salts through the intestine, according to an article published in the journal PLoS One. When this occurs, the body increases the use of cholesterol for the formation of new salts and, therefore, reduces blood cholesterol levels.
To be effective, probiotics must contain at least 10 × 9 CFUs, be of human origin, and arrive and remain active in the gut.
Improve your diet to modulate cholesterol
In short, far from avoiding cholesterol in the diet, the key is to act on endogenous synthesis. To do this, you must reduce the consumption of the foods that activate it and increase that of those that manage to increase its transport to regions capable of using it or eliminating it.
In turn, increasing your intake of foods with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.
