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List of food that reduces cholesterol.

Unlike some conditions, high cholesterol is directly affected by what you eat. This is great news when it comes to lowering cholesterol naturally. Some foods , such as saturated fats, increase the production of cholesterol by the body and so should be avoided. But its not just a case of avoiding the foods that do you harm - the good news is that some foods actually lower your cholesterol

The following foods are a good starting point for anyone looking into lowering cholesterol naturally - and most of them are quite common foods, so there should be no problem in finding recipes for them or incorporating them into a cholesterol lowering diet.

Cereals containing soluble fibre:

Oatmeal, rolled oats, oatbran, Oat Cereals, barley, flaxseed

Fruit and Vegetables:

Apples, citrus fruit, berries, carrots, onion, watercress, leeks, apricots, prunes, cabbage, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts

Beans & legumes:

Lima, kidney, black or other dried beans daily have been shown to reduce cholesterol. Try substituting one or more of these for meat at one of your meals each day.

Nuts:

Nuts, especially walnuts, contain omega-3 fatty acids which reduce triglyceride levels, increase HDL levels (high density lipoproteins, or the good cholesterol) and reduce LDL levels (low density lipoproteins, also know as the bad cholesterol). They also contain phytosterols which reduce overall cholesterol

Functional Foods:

Nutraceuticals or functional foods are foods which are designed to have a specific effect on health.Over the last few years, new margarines, such as Benecol and Take Control, have been introduced in the supermarkets. These contain ingredients called plant sterols and stanol esters that have been shown to have decreased cholesterol levels by up to 10%.

Beer and Wine

The good news is not only do you not have to give them up, but a small amount is actually good for you! Researchers at the University of Western Ontario have found that a couple of beers may produce the same effects as wine in lowering cholesterol levels. Thirty minutes after drinking the beer, they noted a decrease LDL cholesterol levels. They believe it may be something related to the cholesterol lowering effect of barley used in the making of beer, but beware - if you drink more of it, the effect seems to be reversed.

 

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