What foods to eat to lower cholesterol. Reducing cholesterol levels with proper nutrition. Bad habits and general health of the body

Cholesterol in the blood is found in the form of a compound with transport proteins. These proteins are divided into two types - high molecular weight and low molecular weight. High molecular weight ones dissolve well and do not precipitate cholesterol, while low molecular weight ones are poorly soluble and precipitate cholesterol with the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels, which increases the risk of cardiovascular complications. Thus, maintaining normal blood cholesterol concentrations becomes an important health factor.

Human tissues and organs contain about 200 g of cholesterol. With food, a person receives only 20% of the cholesterol he needs, the rest is formed from the breakdown products of fats and proteins. Largest quantity cholesterol is synthesized in the liver and walls small intestine. Cholesterol has plastic functions; it is necessary for the construction of the membranes of living cells, the formation of bile and the synthesis of certain hormones and vitamin D. There is especially a lot of cholesterol in the membranes of brain cells; with a decrease in the concentration of cholesterol, mental abilities can even be impaired.

You should not always and under all conditions reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood, since it performs protective function in case of illness and stress, if there is a need for urgent “repair” of cell membranes. Lack of cholesterol in food can lead to anemia.

But it has now been precisely proven that cholesterol, packaged in a protein shell, can contribute to atherosclerosis. The cause of the disease is not so much excess cholesterol in food, but a lack of antioxidants in it that prevent its oxidation. However, high dietary cholesterol contributes to the development of atherosclerosis.

Thus, the prevention of atherosclerosis is balanced diet with moderate cholesterol content and sufficient antioxidant content.

Humans have developed protective mechanisms against dietary cholesterol; cholesterol has always been present in the human diet, and we should not forget that the absolute harm of cholesterol was “proven” in experiments on herbivorous rabbits.

Evolution has taught humans to resist rising cholesterol levels in the blood, but to do this, foods that promote growth must be accompanied by foods that remove cholesterol from the body. An example is the food of the Caucasian centenarian, where lamb shish kebab, which contains an excess of cholesterol, is accompanied by vegetables, herbs, walnuts, dairy products, corn, and even red wine.

When creating a menu, it is not enough to know that this product lowers cholesterol in the blood and is recommended for high cholesterol. First you need to figure out why this decrease occurs and whether it will benefit the body.

Howreduce the deposition of “bad” cholesterol?

First of all, cholesterol absorption is slowed down alimentary fiber. They also stimulate the growth of beneficial bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the intestines. Plant fiber removes bile acids from the intestines, from which cholesterol is synthesized in the liver. When the amount of its own cholesterol is reduced, the liver removes excess cholesterol from the bloodstream. Natural fermented milk products are also capable of this.

Food antioxidants prevent the oxidation of cholesterol (cholesterol is an animal fat that tends to go rancid). Only oxidized cholesterol can be deposited on the walls of blood vessels. Antioxidants are divided into 3 types: carotenoids, allyl sulfides and polyphenols.

In reducing cholesterol levels, the role of polyphenols with antioxidant properties is significant. Polyphenols include flavonoids, stilbenes (the best known is resveratrol, which prevents the formation of plaques on vascular walls), lignins and phenolic acids.

IN whole grain and nuts contain phospholipids, which the body needs as carriers of excess cholesterol and its solvent. The body is not able to synthesize phospholipids; they can only be obtained from food.

From the above it follows that even if the intake of cholesterol from food is completely excluded, its excess may nevertheless be observed in the blood if the above conditions for its removal are not provided. Now the futility of cholesterol-free diets becomes clear - proper diet must be balanced.

In medicine, statin drugs are used to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Statins do not remove or destroy cholesterol, but rather prevent the liver from producing it. They cannot be called absolutely harmless and harmless, therefore, in the issue of regulating cholesterol levels, the role of natural statins contained in food is increasing. Natural statins include vitamins B3 (niacin) and C.

Therefore, the composition balanced diet You should include foods that help reduce cholesterol levels, and at the same time do not contain it in excess quantities. Foods that lower cholesterol and cleanse blood vessels are listed in the table below.

Foods that lower cholesterol levels

At elevated level cholesterol in the blood increases the role of eating foods that reduce this level. Cholesterol-reducing foods include mainly plant origin With big amount dietary fiber and antioxidants.

Cholesterol is an important element in the human body, participating in many processes. He is building material for cell membranes, takes part in the production of androgens, estrogens, cortisol, in the transformation sunlight in vitamin D, in the production of bile, etc. However, it high concentration in the blood leads to the formation of sclerotic plaques on the walls of blood vessels, their blockage and the development of atherosclerosis, stroke, and heart attack. Reducing cholesterol is necessary for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. According to doctors, if you constantly include foods that lower cholesterol in your diet, you can reduce its concentration in the blood.

What kind of cholesterol should you fight?

Cholesterol is usually divided into “good” and “bad”. The fact is that it does not dissolve in water, so in order to move around the body it is attached to proteins. Such complexes are called lipoproteins, which in turn come in two types: low density (LDL) - “bad”, and high density(HDL) – “good”. The first carries substances from the liver to the tissues, the second - from the tissues to the liver. LDL leads to the development of atherosclerosis, while HDL clears blood vessels of plaque. When talking about lowering cholesterol, they mean “bad” cholesterol, while the “good” one needs to be preserved.

The role of nutrition

Proper nutrition has great importance in the fight against hypercholesterolemia and for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. A special diet helps reduce its production and absorption. In addition, cholesterol begins to be eliminated from the body faster.

Products

List healthy products big enough. It contains mainly food of plant origin. To create a menu, you need to know which foods lower cholesterol. No more than 300 mg should enter the body per day.

Broccoli . Contains coarse dietary fiber, which is not digested, swells, envelops and removes atherogenic fats. Reduces its absorption in the intestine by 10%. You should eat up to 400 grams of broccoli per day.

Prunes. Helps lower blood cholesterol levels due to the antioxidants it contains.

Fresh herring. Rich in Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, it reduces the size of atherosclerotic plaques, normalizes the lumen of blood vessels, and prevents the development cardiovascular pathologies such as heart attack and stroke. Daily norm is about 100 grams.

To lower cholesterol, you need to include broccoli in your menu every day.

Nuts. For high cholesterol, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios are especially useful. They help normalize its level due to the monounsaturated fatty acids they contain. Please note that nuts are high in calories.

Oyster mushrooms. Thanks to the lovastin contained in them, they help reduce the size of vascular plaques. It is recommended to eat up to 10 grams per day.

Oatmeal. Includes fiber that binds cholesterol in the intestines and removes it from the body. Eating daily oatmeal, you can reduce its level by 4%.

Sea fish. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and iodine contained in sea ​​fish, prevent the formation of plaques on the vascular walls.

Sea kale. Regular appointment for food rich in iodine seaweed promotes the dissolution of blood clots in blood vessels.

Very useful for cardiovascular diseases legume dishes

Legumes. Rich in fiber, vitamin B, pectin, folic acid. At regular use can reduce the rate by 10%.

Apples. Contain insoluble fiber, removing cholesterol from the body. The antioxidants contained in apples are necessary for people with cardiovascular diseases; they prevent the absorption of fats in the intestines and blockage of blood vessels with blood clots.

Dairy. Kefir, cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt are cholesterol-lowering foods.

Fruits vegetables. The most useful in this regard are kiwi, grapefruit, oranges, carrots, and beets.

It is important to choose foods that reduce only “bad” cholesterol, but leave “good” cholesterol unchanged. The most effective doctors include the following:

• Fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Adding to dishes vegetable fats instead of animals, you can reduce the content of “bad” cholesterol by 18%. These are avocado oil, olive oil, corn oil, and peanut oil.
• Flax-seed. It is enough to eat 50 grams of seed per day to achieve a reduction bad cholesterol by 14%.
• Oat bran. Thanks to fiber, they effectively reduce cholesterol and prevent its absorption in the intestines.
• Garlic. Three cloves of fresh garlic per day reduces cholesterol levels by 12%.

Medicinal plants and herbs that lower cholesterol

Traditional medicine suggests using it to lower cholesterol medicinal herbs and plants.

Blackberry

Pour boiling water over the blackberry leaves, cover the container and let it brew for about an hour. Half a liter of water requires a tablespoon of chopped herbs. Treatment consists of taking the tincture three times a day, one-third of a glass.

meadow clover

Flowers and grass (two tablespoons) are poured with water (1 cup boiled), tightly closed, left for an hour, then filtered. Drink a tablespoon three times a day before meals.

Liquorice root

Grind the raw materials, add water, boil for about 10 minutes over low heat. Put two tablespoons of root per 0.5 liter. The strained broth is drunk for two weeks three times a day, 1/3 cup, one and a half hours after meals. Do month break and repeat.

Hawthorn

The flowers of the plant are poured with boiling water (two tablespoons per glass). The product should sit for 20 minutes. Drink the prepared tincture three to four times a day, one tablespoon at a time.

Garlic

For half a liter of vodka you need to take 300 grams of garlic, pre-chopped. Place in a dark place and leave for three weeks, then strain. Dilute the tincture in water or milk (half a glass - 20 drops) and drink before meals daily.

Linden flowers

Grind the flowers in a coffee grinder. Take a teaspoon three times a day with water. The course of treatment is 1 month.

Melissa

Pour boiling water over the lemon balm herb (2 tablespoons – one glass). Cover with a lid and leave to steep for an hour. Take the strained tincture, a quarter of a glass, 30 minutes before. before meals two to three times a day.

Flax-seed

Not only lowers bad cholesterol, but also improves performance digestive system, has a choleretic effect. It is recommended to add the seed to ready meals, for example, salads and cereals.

Pumpkin

Grate raw pumpkin. Eat before meals (30 minutes before) in the amount of two to three tablespoons.

Foods that raise cholesterol

When lowering cholesterol, it is important to avoid harmful products. These include:

• liver;
• fish caviar;
• shrimps;
• butter;
• margarine;
• fast food;
• sausages;
• cheeses;
• cream;
• chicken egg yolk.

Finally

Reducing cholesterol is an important factor in preventing atherosclerosis and the development of heart attacks. Only one thing is right organized meals can reduce “bad” cholesterol by 5-10%, even without the use of medications.

Cholesterol is involved in the formation of bile acids, the production of vitamin D, and strengthens cell membranes. When the balance of harmful and beneficial lipoproteins is disturbed, fatty plaques form on the walls of blood vessels and atherosclerosis develops. Cholesterol-lowering foods help normalize blood composition.

This organic compound, belonging to the class of fats. In the human body, this substance is involved in the synthesis of bile, fat-soluble vitamins. Cholesterol is necessary for the production of sex hormones and corticosteroids, protecting red blood cells from the effects of hemolytic poisons.

In the blood, cholesterol is contained in the form of complex compounds (lipoproteins) with transporter proteins. Such complexes have different molecular weight, differ in their tendency to form atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of blood vessels. Low and very low density lipoproteins - LDL, VLDL - are harmful.

Plant substances that reduce the synthesis of bad cholesterol

Natural products of plant origin contain useful components, helping to lower blood cholesterol levels. Therapeutic effect have the following substances:

• polyphenols;
• potassium;
• resveratrol;
• cellulose;
• vitamin E, C;
• Omega polyunsaturated fatty acids – 3, 6, 9;
• catechins.

Strengthen vascular system, stimulate cell renewal and restoration, remove from the body free radicals. Beneficial substances are contained in grape seeds, red beans, cocoa, tomatoes, cranberries and apples. Polyphenols lose some of their properties when heat treatment, therefore products should be consumed in fresh or cook in the oven, steam.

– strong antioxidants, removing free radicals from the body. They are found in large quantities in quinces, apricots, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, plums, broccoli, carrots, currants, white and green tea. Potassium is necessary to maintain the osmotic composition of the blood, normalize water and acid-base balance. The source is white beans, spinach, bananas, citrus fruits, dates, broccoli.

Reduces the synthesis of low-density lipoproteins, has antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties. To reduce cholesterol, it is useful to eat fresh apples, olive oil, soybean oil, wheat germ oil, citrus fruits, cabbage, rose hips, and kiwi.

Reduce the level of triglycerides and LDL in the blood by 25%, help reduce overweight bodies. The source of the substance is flax seeds, seaweed, potatoes, olive, flaxseed, mustard oil, leafy greens, walnuts.

What foods cleanse blood vessels of cholesterol plaques?

If you have high cholesterol, it is useful to eat the following foods:

• whole grain cereals - brown rice, oatmeal, buckwheat, oat bran;
• asparagus;
• seaweed, seaweed;
• turmeric;
• green tea;
• persimmon;
• pomegranate, pomegranate juice;
• watermelon;
• red fish - salmon, trout;
• citrus;
• fish fat;
• olive oil;
• cinnamon, turmeric;
• walnuts, almonds.

These products help strengthen circulatory system, prevent the deposition of lipid fat on the walls of blood vessels, stimulate metabolic processes, improve blood circulation, normalize arterial pressure. They remove harmful cholesterol, toxins and waste from the body, increase immunity, and saturate the body with essential omega acids, vitamins and minerals.

Fish oil, olive oil, whole grains increase levels good cholesterol, reducing the content of harmful substances and preventing blockage of blood vessels with lipid plaques. Spices, dark chocolate, garlic thin the blood, improve circulation, and protect against the formation of blood clots.

Diet for high cholesterol

If you have high cholesterol, you must follow special diet. Animal fats, processed foods, fast food, sweets, carbonated drinks, and alcohol are excluded from the diet. You should give up fish, canned meat, sausages, smoked meats, baked goods. It is recommended to consume more fresh vegetables and fruits, juices, whole grain cereals.

What should you eat to lower cholesterol?

• dietary meats – rabbit, turkey, chicken breast, veal;
• low-fat fermented milk products;
• mushrooms – oyster mushrooms, champignons;
• salmon, trout, carp;
• vegetable broth soups;
• buckwheat, oatmeal, rice porridge;
• greenery;
• red wine;
• wholemeal bread;
• beets;
• eggplant;
• beans, peas, lentils;
• white, green tea, cranberry juice, rosehip decoction, cocoa;
• cabbage

The dishes need to be steamed, with the addition of small quantity olive or linseed oil. You can bake meat with vegetables or mushrooms in the oven, eat fresh vegetable salads with greens. Meals should be fractional, food should be taken 5-6 times a day in small portions.

Treatment with folk remedies

To lower low-density lipoproteins, it is useful to eat flax seeds. They are added to salads, baked goods, and jelly is prepared. At home, you can brew dandelion root, linden flowers, alfalfa, licorice root, and white cinquefoil. Garlic, hawthorn, arnica, rowan juice, red currant juice, and blackberry leaf tea reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines.

One of the most effective products that lower cholesterol levels is tea mushroom. It normalizes lipid metabolism, acts like powerful antioxidant, saturates the body with B vitamins. B medicinal purposes use a mushroom infusion with the addition of currant leaves, linden color. Folk remedy drink in the morning on an empty stomach; you can drink up to 1 liter of healthy drink per day.

Ginger root also helps lower blood cholesterol. The plant has a beneficial effect on work of cardio-vascular system, normalizes metabolism, digestion, leads to weight loss. It contains a large amount of vitamin C, which helps increase immunity and strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Ginger is added to tea, infused with honey, ground into powder and seasoned with various dishes.

Milk thistle for lowering cholesterol

You can reduce the production of bad cholesterol by taking milk thistle. This treatment plant rich in vitamins A, D, E, K, F, potassium and magnesium. The herb removes toxic substances from the body, normalizes the functioning of the digestive system, stimulates the production of bile, accelerates fat burning, and cleanses blood vessels from atherosclerotic plaques.

Can you eat mushrooms?

People with high cholesterol levels are allowed to eat oyster mushrooms and champignons. These products contain plant fiber, proteins, phytosterols, B vitamins, polyphenols and selenium.

When eating mushrooms, a feeling of satiety quickly sets in, which helps reduce excess weight. Adding them to the diet helps reduce cholesterol levels by 5%, normalizes blood pressure and improves immunity.

If you have high levels of bad cholesterol, it is recommended to eat foods rich in vegetable fiber, magnesium, potassium, which have antioxidant properties. Citrus fruits, berries, fish oil and nuts help cleanse blood vessels and reduce the likelihood of blood clots. Following a diet allows you to normalize metabolic processes and is a means of preventing heart attacks and strokes.

High cholesterol increases the risk of developing many serious illnesses. If it is not raised too much, then in most cases a change in diet contributes to the reduction. To do this, you need to know which foods lower blood cholesterol and how to use them correctly to reap the benefits.

How to choose the right foods to lower cholesterol

Each product contains certain beneficial compounds that help our body. Therefore, when compiling a list, you need to take into account chemical composition food. On high and low level cholesterol, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism are affected by the following substances.

Grapes contain from 2.5 to 6% free and bound in the form of salts of organic acids

Prevents the absorption of harmful fatty acids from food. They remove their excess from the body, as a result of which they keep cholesterol metabolism under control. Anti-cholesterol products containing these substances have detoxifying properties and are usually rich in mineral compounds and antioxidants.

Among them:

• fruits;
• vegetables;
• sprouted grains;
• cranberries, blueberries and other berries.

Vegetables are rich not only in fiber and vitamins, but also in special substances, polyphenols, which promote the absorption of healthy cholesterol.

Resveratrol

Unique in its own way healing properties a substance found in grapes (dark varieties), blueberries, nuts and other foods to lower cholesterol. The compound not only protects the heart and blood vessels from the formation cholesterol plaques, but also prolongs youth, preventing the aging process in every cell. In addition, resveratrol is prophylactic regarding malignant tissue degeneration.

Cellulose

Almost all foods that contain fiber can lower cholesterol. It comes in two forms:

• insoluble (cellulose);
• soluble (pectin).

The first facilitates the work of the intestines, regulates the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, and reduces the penetration of harmful fatty compounds into the blood. When passing through digestive tract Cellulose, like an abrasive, cleanses the intestinal walls and quickly and effectively removes all accumulated metabolic products. There is a lot of it in plant foods, grain crops, and representatives of the legume family.

The second type of fiber is found in foods that lower blood cholesterol, such as:

• vegetables;
• fruits;
• seaweed.

Algae contain a cholesterol antagonist - betasitosterol.

Acquiring a jelly-like consistency in the intestines, pectin binds cholesterol, facilitating its removal. A large number of pectin is found in porridges (rice, pearl barley, barley), flour. Cholesterol-lowering foods include brown rice, eggplant, celery, and viburnum (berries).

The compound has antioxidant and detoxifying properties. Its minimum daily use, sufficient to normalize metabolism, should be at least 15 g. “Collecting” cholesterol molecules and toxic substances, pectin leaves the digestive tract.

You can take dietary supplements that contain pectin only with the permission of your doctor.

Polyphenols

Cholesterol-lowering foods must contain polyphenols. These substances are used to reduce “bad” cholesterol. In addition, they perform important functions in the human body:

• are strong antioxidants;
• prevent the development of cancerous tumors;
• provide significant support to the heart and blood vessels;
• prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis;
• normalize hormonal levels.

Polyphenols stimulate the production of healthy HDL cholesterol in the blood

Polyphenols can be found in red and black rice, dark grapes, pomegranate, cranberries and other foods.

Omega – 3 and 6

Unsaturated omega fatty acids are essential compounds for the body that normalize metabolic processes. Their action is aimed at preventing the formation of plaques on the inner wall blood vessels. Omega acids:

• protect blood vessels from damage;
• strengthen and cleanse them of deposits;
• prevent the formation of blood clots;
• control blood composition.

Foods that lower blood cholesterol levels and contain unsaturated fatty acids:

• fatty fish;
• flax oil and others vegetable oils;
• pumpkin seeds and others.

How to use milk thistle?

The action of milk thistle is aimed at restoring and maintaining the functional activity of the liver and gall bladder. Plant:

• has pronounced detoxification properties;
• removes toxins and poisons from the body;
• stimulates the outflow of bile, preventing its stagnation and the formation of stones;
• is directly involved in the activity of the liver in relation to lipid and carbohydrate metabolism;
• reduces the content of “bad” cholesterol in the blood;
• has an antioxidant effect;
• restores the balance of intestinal microflora.

Milk thistle cleanses the blood, reduces cholesterol and blood sugar, removes toxins

To lower cholesterol, you need to add chopped milk thistle herb to prepared dishes (for example, salads). It can be brewed (a glass of boiling water requires a teaspoon of crushed raw materials) and drunk before meals. Parts of the plant that help lower cholesterol:

• roots;
• flowers;
• leaves;
• stems;
• plant seeds.

So, fresh leaves Milk thistle is added to salads, and the root can be used as a seasoning.

Milk thistle has a powerful effect on the human body. Before using it, you should definitely consult a specialist and do an ultrasound of the gallbladder to make sure there are no gallstones.

Mushrooms for lowering cholesterol

When considering the question of which foods lower blood cholesterol, one cannot fail to mention mushrooms, or more precisely, champignons and oyster mushrooms.

Mushrooms contain beneficial components that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Among the many beneficial properties The following mushrooms can be particularly distinguished:

• are the prevention of oncology;
• strong antioxidants, inhibit aging;
• remove “bad” cholesterol and increase the level of “good”;
• control lipid metabolism;
• have anti-inflammatory properties;
• prevent thrombosis;
• cleanse the body of toxic substances;
• are a source of important mineral compounds and protein;
• prevent the development of stroke, heart attack, atherosclerosis.

To reduce blood cholesterol in men and women, it is recommended to boil, bake or steam mushrooms.

How does ginger lower cholesterol?

The ability of ginger to normalize the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates in the body is actively used to lose weight and lower cholesterol. The root prevents the deposition of plaques on the vascular walls, thins the blood, and cleanses the blood vessels.

Ginger is used today to treat many diseases

Thanks to the action of biologically active compounds, for example, gingerol, the plant keeps cholesterol metabolism under control.

You can lower your cholesterol levels by adding fresh or dried root ginger in food or tea. When fresh, it is pre-cleaned and grated.

Introducing cholesterol-fighting products into your diet gradually, but is guaranteed to lead to the desired result. At the same time, it is important not only to correctly list them, but also to take into account that an excess of any of them can lead to side effects. Therefore, you need to observe the measure.

What you can eat and what you can’t eat high level cholesterol in the blood of women and men? What to do on holidays? We present to your attention a convenient table (list), where the first column contains foods that you can eat (if elevated LDL/ low HDL), and in the second, which are prohibited. For each product group, short recommendations are presented (advice to note - from doctors and nutritionists).

What foods can you eat if you have high cholesterol, and what can you not - table/list

What to do during the holidays if you have high cholesterol?

• Try not to beat yourself up about the fact that you can eat something and cannot eat something. First, understand that any chronic diseases are treated chronically. That is, if we have been eating something that is harmful to the body for a long time (perhaps out of ignorance), then for normal recovery we will have to go without eating “delicious food” for a long time. And secondly, hope for the best in life. As it was written on the ring of Solomon: “this too shall pass.”
• After all, today there is great amount recipes delicious food, absolutely harmless to our health. Don't be lazy, find them. Develop your own culinary talents. Using this, you can independently calculate a list of products with a standardized portion of dietary cholesterol per day (no more than 300 mg).

• If you have problems with high cholesterol in the blood, but the willpower is not enough, for example, to refuse to eat “forbidden food” when visiting. Ask your spouse (or close friend) to help you with this problem - that is, to control you. Give him (or her) your word - to hold on “until victory”. Or make a serious bet (more for men).
• During the holiday feast, try to move more. This could be dancing (moderate, of course), some outdoor games, etc. Great option, for example, walk the dog more often and for longer. In general, look at the circumstances.
• As for drinking alcohol, it is better to give it up. Despite the fact that according to WHO standards they are allowed in in moderation. But where the first 50 ml is, there are the second. And behind them are the third (according to the principle: “God loves the Trinity”). You can be cheerful without alcohol.

More details about, as well as (presented in the table / list above) high cholesterol in the blood can be found in other articles on our website.