To eat or not to eat? Foods that affect Cholesterol levels

- The Naturachol team.

It is important to be aware of the nutritional content of our daily food choices. Specifically, we need to pay attention to the salt content of foods since it affects blood pressure and be aware of the fat content as it affects cholesterol levels.

When cholesterol becomes elevated, it can get deposited as plaque in blood vessels and cause cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. The number of Americans that have high cholesterol is staggering. Nearly 100 million US adults aged 20 or older have cholesterol above the normal level of 200 mg/dL and almost 30 million adult Americans have dangerously high cholesterol levels above 240 mg/dL¹.

There are two types of cholesterol: HDL and LDL. HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), is good for the body. It is postulated to carry cholesterol from other areas of the body back to the liver, which then removes cholesterol from the body². We need to worry about LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) because this type leads to the build-up of plaque on the arterial walls of the heart³.

Now, let's dive deeper into the types of food we should eat and the types to limit or completely avoid.

Foods to limit:

Sausage, bacon, beef, lamb, pork, and saturated vegetable oils like palm oil and coconut oil⁴.

Foods to completely avoid:

Deep-fried foods, hydrogenated vegetable oils, and packaged frosting.

So, what CAN I eat?

Good fats are an essential part of a healthy diet.

Types of good fats are unsaturated, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats.

The following foods are proven to be helpful in reducing LDL-C while helping HDL-C:

Fiber:

Fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream⁵. Foods such as legumes, fruit skins, oats, flaxseeds, beans, barley, oranges, and Brussel sprouts are excellent sources of fiber.

Whole grains:

Consumption of whole grains lower total cholesterol and LDL-C⁶. The following are examples of whole grains: barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur (cracked wheat), millet, and oatmeal. Whole grains can also be consumed by eating whole wheat bread, pasta, or crackers.

Fish:

Eating fish that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids may also slow down the growth of plaque in the arteries and reduce inflammation throughout the body. The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are found in Mackerel, Herring, Tuna, Salmon, and Trout⁷.

Unsaturated Vegetable Oils:

Unlike saturated vegetable oils that increase LDL-C, using unsaturated vegetable oils such as Olive oil is helpful to attain better LDL-C levels.

In Summary…

We can lower your LDL-C by incorporating fiber, vegetables, fruits, nuts and fish into our diet. Try avoiding trans fats, saturated oils, fried foods, and dairy products that are high in fat content and reduce the intake of meat. Balance is everything. Coupled with daily exercise, one should be able to see a significant improvement in heart health and reduce cholesterol levels over time.

Here's How we can help:

It can be overwhelming to consistently make the right food choices and incorporate a vigorous regimen of daily exercise. Naturachol offers the option to promote healthy cholesterol levels without demanding unsustainable lifestyle changes. It is made from all-natural cholesterol-lowering ingredients: oatmeal, red yeast rice extract, and olive oil extract. With daily intake, Naturachol provides the body with ingredients that combat the build-up of LDL-C. Click here to buy your own bottle of Naturachol.

*References:

1. Aranmolate, R. and Obayemi, O. S. (2018). Trends in the Prevalence and Awareness of High Cholesterol among Adults in Mississippi, United States. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 2(2), 06. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejeph/92010.
2. “HDL: The ‘Good’ Cholesterol.” National Library of Medicine, 18 Apr. 2019, medlineplus.gov/hdlthegoodcholesterol.html.
3. Elshourbagy NA, Meyers HV, Abdel-Meguid SS. Cholesterol: the good, the bad, and the ugly - therapeutic targets for the treatment of dyslipidemia. Med Princ Pract. 2014;23(2):99-111. doi:10.1159/000356856.
4. “Saturated Fats.” Https://Www.Heartuk.Org.Uk/Low-Cholesterol Foods/Saturated-Fat, www.heartuk.org.uk/low-cholesterol-foods/saturated-fat. Accessed 9 Apr. 2022.
5. 5 Superfoods to Improve Heart Health. (2019). Pennmedicine.Org. 
6. Cholesterol - healthy eating tips. Cholesterol - healthy eating tips - Better Health Channel. (n.d.)
7. Yanai, Hidekatsu et al. “An Improvement of Cardiovascular Risk Factors by Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids.” Journal of clinical medicine research vol. 10,4 (2018): 281-289. doi:10.14740/jocmr3362w.