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10
Top Foods to Help You Fight High Cholesterol
By
Brian Vaszily
Close to 107 million U.S. adults have cholesterol
levels of 200 mg/dL or higher, a level that
the American Heart Association says increases
the risk of heart disease and stroke. At
least 12 million of these people are taking
statin drugs to lower their cholesterol
levels, but there are more natural options
out there.
According to the American Heart Association,
“You can reduce cholesterol in your
blood by eating healthful foods, losing
weight if you need to and exercising.”
What follows is a listing of the most potent
foods to add to your diet if you want to
fight high cholesterol and drive your levels
down using your diet as a primary tool.
1. Shitake Mushrooms
The active component in shitake
mushrooms—eritadenine—has been
found to lower cholesterol levels in animal
studies. The more eritadenine the animals
received, the more their cholesterol levels
dropped.
2. Walnuts
A study in the April 2004 issue
of Circulation found that when walnuts were
substituted for about one-third of the calories
supplied by olives and other monounsaturated
fats in the Mediterranean diet, total cholesterol
and LDL (bad) cholesterol were reduced.
Walnuts contain the beneficial omega-3 fatty
acids, which are known to be excellent for
the heart.
3. Uncooked Soy
A new study found that eating two servings
of soy protein a day can lower cholesterol
by up to 9 percent—but it must be
uncooked to have benefit. “Soy protein
increases the activity of low-density lipoprotein
receptors primarily on the liver that clears
it from the body. Eating soy protein increases
the activity of these enzymes that break
down the cholesterol,” said study
author James Anderson, a scientist at the
University of Kentucky in Lexington.
Good soy sources would be edamame or soy
nuts. “Soy-fortified muffins, cereals
or nutritional bars in which the soy protein
was baked at high temperatures do not provide
the benefit,” Anderson said.
4. Blueberries
Researchers with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture have identified an antioxidant
in blueberries called pterostilbene (it’s
similar to resveratrol, the antioxidant
found in grapes and red wine). This compound
has effectively lowered cholesterol levels
in animal studies.
5. Salmon
This fish is a particularly good
source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are
known to lower LDL cholesterol while raising
the good (HDL) kind.
6. Garlic
Numerous studies have demonstrated
that eating garlic regularly reduces LDL
cholesterol and raises HDL levels.
7. Avocado
Avocados are rich in oleic acid,
a monounsaturated fat known to help lower
cholesterol. In fact, one study found that
people with moderately high cholesterol
levels who ate a diet high in avocados for
one week had significant drops in total
and LDL cholesterol levels, and an 11 percent
increase in the good HDL cholesterol.
8. Black Beans
Black beans and other legumes are
high in dietary fiber, which is an excellent
cholesterol fighter.
9. Apples
Rich in both pectin and fiber,
along with powerful antioxidants, including
quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic
acid, apples help lower bad cholesterol
while raising the good kind.
10. Dark Green, Leafy Vegetables
According to the National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute’s Family
Heart Study, participants who ate four or
more servings of fruits and vegetables a
day had significantly lower levels of LDL
cholesterol than those who ate fewer servings.
Among the most powerful veggies are the
dark green, leafy variety, such as spinach,
kale, collard greens and Swiss chard.
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