Having high cholesterol can increase your risk of cardiovascular issues, such as heart attacks and strokes, which can be extremely life-threatening.
For anybody with high cholesterol levels, changing your diet can make a huge difference. Having high cholesterol can increase people’s risk of cardiovascular issues, like strokes and heart attacks, which can be life-threatening. A dietitian has noted that there are four specific foods that can be included in your diet to keep your cholesterol levels low.
Co-founder of Nutrition4.co.uk Angie Jefferson recommends plant sterols and stanols as a way of reducing the risk of strokes and heart attacks, reports the Express. Angie named examples including “mini shot-style drinks, fat spreads or yoghurts”, but she warns that your body won’t store these plant sterols unless you continue to consume them.
“You can do a number of things to help keep your cholesterol levels in check,” she explained.
“Plant sterols and stanols are similar in size and shape to cholesterol and block some cholesterol absorption from your gut. Over time, this lowers the amount of cholesterol in your blood.
“There are tiny amounts in plant foods, but to get the effective dose of 3g/day you need to consume foods with added plant sterols and stanols.”
The dietitian also tells people to eat more oats and barley, as they contain a soluble, gel-forming fibre called beta-glucan. Angie spoke to The Menopause Exchange and explained that beta-glucan “hangs on to cholesterol and bile acids during digestion” – helping reduce cholesterol.
She continued: “Oats, barley and foods made from these can help lower cholesterol, provided these contain at least 1g of beta-glucan per portion.” In order to lower your cholesterol, you can also eat nuts and soya, as they are rich in fibre and protein. Angie added: “Research shows that nuts and soya foods, rich in protein and fibre, minerals and plant compounds, can help to support heart health.”
The dietitian recommended a “small handful” of nuts as a snack, or to “toast them and sprinkle over a salad or soup”. She added: “Try experimenting with plant-based meals using soya mince, edamame beans or tofu to replace normal protein.”
While adding these things to your diet can be extremely helpful in controlling cholesterol levels, having other unhealthy habits can counteract your good deeds.
In order to make sure you are benefiting from eating the right foods, you should be cutting down on foods that boost your cholesterol levels. Cardiovascular disease causes nearly three in ten deaths in Scotland, or over 18,000 deaths each year – that’s 50 people per day or 1,500 per month, according to the British Heart Foundation.
Source: Daily Record
