My Four Top Foods To Lower Cholesterol
November 4th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Latest statistics reveal an alarming fact. More and more younger people are taking drugs to lower their cholesterol. High cholestreol is blamed for heart disease, high blood pressure and strokes. These figures also indicate that the obesity epidemic is showing no signs of abating.
The rapid increase in the figures for the 20 - 44 age group - 70% in the last five years- is causing alarm. These drugs are normally associated with senior citizens so this increase could mean that the younger generation are taking their health more seriously or that there is an alarming increase in cholesterol levels. Experts agree that the latter option is the most likely scenario.
The most effective and widely tested cholesterol drugs are called the statins, which block the formation of cholesterol in the liver and increase the production of the receptors on liver cells that clean the bad cholesterol from the blood. If you are worried about the side effects of statins, you may want to consider lowering your cholesterol levels a more natural way and that is through a healthy diet. Here are my four top foods which will definitely lower your cholesterol without having to take any drugs.
Tomatoes are top of my list becausre they contain lycopene. This substance prevents the oxidation of LDL (bad cholesterol) before it can start causing damage. Research has shown that lycopene has a role in lowering this tye of cholesterol so include plenty fo tomatoes in your diet, preferably cooked.
There have been lots of studies done on Eskimos to ascertain why their levels of heart disease and cholesterol are lower than ours. Because they eat lots of fish such as whale meat which contains good fats such as Omega-3, they live longer healthier lives than we do. So, my second top food is high fat fish such as mackerel, herring, trout, sardines and wild salmon which should be baked or grilled. Other great sources of Omega -3 are flaxseed and canola oil.
My third one is soy because it contains fibre and lots of vitamins and minerals. Recently the American Heart Association stated that the effects of soy on blood pressure and on triglycerides was actually minimal. But it is a great source of low-fat protein and that is why I eat or drink it all the time.
Researchers have shown that if you consume about 200 calories of nuts a day (let us say you are 1,200 a day), then this can in some cases reduce your cholesterol levels by about 12%. That is not bad - just by adding a very important food to your diet. That is why nuts are in my top four - any nuts will do- walnuts, almonds and cashews. Nuts are a great source of healthy fats not to mention some valuable minerals and trace nutrients as well.
These top foods I have outlined are just a few of those mentioned in the Mediterranean Diet which has been the at the centre of attention for a long time now. Studies show that people living in the Mediterranean basin actually have a lower rate of cholesterol and heart disease than many other nations. It has nothing to do with the sun - it is what they eat !
About the Author:
Tired of cholesterol drugs? Time for The Mediterranean Diet Visit The Wellness Bible for breaking news and views on Health and Fitness. Get your own completely unique content version of this article.
Technorati Tags: Cholesterol, Lower Cholesterol
Related Tags: Cholesterol
