Named a simple diet that will reduce cholesterol by 30%

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Have you been diagnosed with high cholesterol? You should be aware of a number of life-threatening risks associated with “bad” cholesterol, such as heart attacks and strokes. There is a simple diet that has proven effectiveness in preventing the development of these complications.

Experts from the organization “Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine” (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) report that the “ideal level of cholesterol in the blood” should be within 150 milligrams per deciliter, and your diet “significantly” affects this indicator.

If you eat a lot of foods high in saturated fat—meat, dairy, and eggs—this leads to an increase in cholesterol. “Vegetable products have the opposite effect, experts insist. “They have very little saturated fat and no cholesterol.”

A plant-based diet rich in soluble fiber is one of the best ways to lower cholesterol. Experts explained: “soluble fiber slows down the absorption of cholesterol and reduces the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver. Oats, barley, legumes, and some fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of soluble fiber.”

Types of cholesterol

There is low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is considered “bad.” But there is also so-called “good” cholesterol – high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Doctors from the organization mentioned above explained: “Cholesterol does not dissolve in the blood. To circulate in the bloodstream, cholesterol uses two types of carriers: high-density lipoproteins and low-density lipoproteins.”

Bad cholesterol is also “necessary in moderation”, but if there is too much of this cholesterol, it becomes dangerous. A high level of bad cholesterol leads to the development of atherosclerosis, a condition in which the lumen of the arteries narrows due to cholesterol sticking to the vessel walls. Meanwhile, “good” cholesterol is able to remove “bad” cholesterol from the arteries.

“Good” cholesterol takes “bad” cholesterol and delivers it to the liver, where it is broken down. Studies show that plant-based diets help lower cholesterol more effectively than other diets.

As part of a meta-study, which experts from the “Physicians' Commission for Responsible Medicine” conducted together with George Washington University and Keio University in Japan, they tried to study this issue in more detail. They analyzed the results of 49 studies comparing cholesterol levels in people who ate mostly plant-based foods and those who ate everything.

The results of the analysis showed that a low-fat diet, based on plant-based products, “usually helped reduce cholesterol by 15-30%.” Experts from the University of Toronto found that if you introduce “special foods that help reduce cholesterol” into your diet, it will help reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol by almost 30% in just four weeks.

To such products include:

⦁ Oats, barley, legumes;
⦁ Soy protein;
⦁ Nuts;
⦁ Wheat germ, wheat bran, almonds, Brussels sprouts.

In addition to diet, exercise also helps to lower cholesterol, as reported by the National Health Service of Great Britain. Regular exercise is one of the best ways to lower cholesterol. Moreover, regular exercise is one of the best ways to keep your heart healthy.