1Managing Cholesterol –
Before you go looking for the top cholesterol lowering foods, it’d be well to understand that the term has been misunderstood for years. Because of this, people tend to associate cholesterol with fat. But not all fat is bad. It is more important to balance the ratio of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) in your blood.
Stress, genetics, lack of exercise and diabetes may be blamed for high cholesterol. But eating unhealthy is allegedly the prime cause of this condition in most people. Dietary cholesterol from meat, seafood, dairy products and poultry is not thought to be tied to heart disease anymore, as renowned Danish researcher Uffe Ravnskov, has been proclaiming for years.
And only a very small part of the population is apparently sensitive to dietary cholesterol. As it stands, cholesterol is crucial for our bodies to function and is produced endogenously. It circulates through the blood in packages made of fat (lipid) and enveloped in proteins. Hence the term lipoproteins. LDL must be offset with appropriate levels of HDL.
If you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol, it would be wise to make lifestyle changes such as cutting down on cigarettes as well as alcohol, and exercising. Managing your diet and eating less processed stuff is obviously one step towards getting healthier. So when you’re at the supermarket next time, reach out for the following cholesterol lowering foods.