Cholesterol is a type of fat that circulates in the body and is present in all the cells that the body requires for normal functioning. Most of this substance is produced in the liver, although it is also obtained from some foods, says the Spanish Heart Foundation.
Blood is in charge of driving cholesterol from the intestine or liver to the organs that need it and it does so by binding to particles called lipoproteins, which can be: low density (LDL) or high density (HDL).
The first ones are in charge of transporting new cholesterol from the liver to all the cells of the body; while the latter collect unused cholesterol and return it to the liver for storage or excretion abroad through the bile.
Normally, cholesterol levels rise because a balanced diet is not taken and people gain weight, accumulating fat in the body and also due to the lack of regular physical exercise. Losing extra pounds is one of the best strategies to reduce cholesterol levels and thus both objectives can be achieved through diet.
What to eat to lower cholesterol?
The United States National Library of Medicine ensures that lifestyle changes are favorable for reducing cholesterol and some recommendations such as the following should be taken into account when eating.
1. Choose healthier fats. Both total and saturated fat should be limited. No more than 25-35% of your daily calories should come from dietary fat, and less than 7% of your calories should come from saturated fat, which are considered harmful because they raise the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) more than anything else. They are found in some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods, and processed and fried foods.
2. Limit foods with cholesterol. If you want to lose weight and consequently cholesterol, you should consume less than 200 milligrams a day of foods that contain this substance, which is found in products of animal origin such as liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, shrimp and whole milk dairy products.
3. Eat plenty of soluble fiber. Foods rich in soluble fiber help prevent the digestive tract from absorbing cholesterol. This includes whole grain cereals such as oats and oat bran; fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, pears, and plums; and legumes like beans, lentils, and chickpeas.
4. Consume fruits and vegetables. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can increase important cholesterol-lowering substances.
6. Limit salt. The recommendation is not to consume more than 2,300 milligrams (regarding a teaspoon of salt) per day. That includes all the salt you eat, whether it was added in cooking or at the table, or is already present in food products.
7. Limit alcohol. Alcohol adds calories to, which lead to weight gain. Being overweight increases the risk of increasing bad cholesterol and decreasing good cholesterol.
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