Newspapers have reported on the drawbacks of having a diet
high in fat. High-fat diet has been linked to high cholesterol and ultimately
to heart attacks. Hence, people have started avoiding beef and eggs. But
cholesterol is not bad. Our body needs it to protect nerves and build new cells
and hormones. It is only when we include foods like pizzas, burgers, ice
creams, steaks or any food containing animal product that the problem starts.
Excess cholesterol settles along the walls of the arteries
and can clog them thus, restricting blood flow. This gives rise to angina,
heart attack or stroke. It has also been shown that high cholesterol leads to
gallstones. There are two types of cholesterol called good cholesterol or HDL
and bad cholesterol or LDL. LDL is the cholesterol that clogs the arteries and
should be lower while HDL scours the artery walls and removes the harmful LDL
and should be higher.
Doctors recommend
reducing and avoiding high-fat diets containing meat, eggs and dairy products.
But you can use the following home remedies for treatment:
• Increase the intake of Vitamin E: It is advised to
increase your intake of Vitamin E to 400 international units to prevent the
oxidation of bad cholesterol where the cholesterol hardens into the arterial
plaque thus giving rise to heart attack. It also raises the level of HDL. You
can include Vitamin E as dietary sources or include vegetable oils, nuts or
grains in your diet.
• Eat your breakfast: People who skip the breakfast have
higher cholesterol levels than those who have breakfast every day. This is
because they tend to eat unhealthy foods which are high in fats.
• Eat small meals frequently: Large meals have been shown to
release a large amount of insulin, which in turn stimulates the production of
the enzymes that increases cholesterol production by the liver. But eating
small frequent meals without increasing the total calories will limit the
insulin production and thus controls the cholesterol and in turn heart
diseases.
• Add Vitamin C to your diet: Though other vitamins and
minerals play an important role in the cholesterol production, Vitamin C is the
most crucial vitamin for cholesterol control. It increases HDL levels and is
very beneficial if you get it from fruits and vegetables, since they have a
special fibre called pectin. It surrounds the cholesterol and flushes it out of
the digestive system before it gets into the blood. Include fruits like citrus
fruits, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, apples and spinach which are rich in
vitamin C and pectin.
• Increase garlic intake: Taking seven cloves of garlic a
day will reduce cholesterol levels significantly. If you cannot stand the
normal garlic, then you can opt for odorless garlic pills, which are available
in local health stores.
• Skip decaf: Avoid decaffeinated coffee since it has been
shown to raise LDL levels. This is because the beans used for decaf are far
stronger than the normal beans.
• Munch grapes: Grapes and their products have a compound
which lowers cholesterol significantly. So you can increase your intake of
grapes, grape juice and wine to decrease your cholesterol level.
• Have grapefruit: Grapefruit contains pectin which reduces
cholesterol significantly. Hence, people who consume grapefruits show a marked
decline of cholesterol over 7 percent after two months of consumption.
• Eat beans: Lima beans, kidney beans, navy beans, soybeans
and other legumes have been shown to lower cholesterol as they have a high
amount of pectin. Research has shown that people who consume about 11/2 cup of
cooked beans a day have decreased their cholesterol levels by 20 percent within
three weeks.
• Splurge on carrots: Carrots have plenty of pectin, the
most useful type of fibre for lowering cholesterol. Having about 2 to 3 carrots
a day will reduce cholesterol levels by 10 to 20 percent.
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