Diet to lower cholesterol is a diet whose menu does not exclude products containing cholesterol. It turns out that limiting the consumption of cholesterol alone from food does not lead to a reduction in the concentration of this substance in the blood in any way. Check what are the rules of the cholesterol diet, what you can eat and which products are contraindicated.

Diet for lowering cholesterol - is there such a diet?

There is no one effective diet for lowering cholesterol. It is certainly known that the mere proportion of fat in daily meals is not crucial for the majority of the population, and the amount of cholesterol in food is irrelevant.

Despite the decades of change in the proportion of fat consumption - a decrease in the consumption of animal fats, which were considered the cause of cardiovascular disease, and an increase in the consumption of vegetable fats considered to be more beneficial to he alth - the problem of atherosclerosis and heart disease is still present.

Worth knowing

What contributes to the increase in blood cholesterol levels?

The amount of cholesterol in the blood practically does not depend on the cholesterol content of the consumed foods. For most people, this is a completely irrelevant factor. The exception are people genetically predisposed to familial hypercholesterolaemia. Factors that cause an increase in blood cholesterol levels are:

  • smoking
  • chronic stress
  • lack of physical activity
  • overweight and obesity
  • highly processed western diet
  • trans fat intake
  • consumption of highly processed carbohydrates
  • excessive consumption of saturated fat
  • diabetes
  • hypothyroidism
  • having a gene that increases sensitivity to cholesterol from food (affects no more than 25% of the population)

High blood cholesterol should not be taken lightly because it is the result of an unhe althy lifestyle (excluding part of the population genetically predisposed to hypercholesterolaemia), and factors that contribute to raising blood cholesterol negatively affect overall he alth and increase the risk of many diseases.

However, you should not lower it with drugs at all costs, and focus on a he althier lifestyle and a nutritionally rich diet.Reducing cholesterol with drugs does nothing to solve the problems that are causing its concentration in the blood to rise.

Diet to lower cholesterol - rules

Diet for lowering cholesterol should be as least processed as possible, based on natural products and meals prepared by yourself. The role of dietary fiber in meals with vegetables, pectin-rich fruit, whole grain oat preparations and other grains, as well as ground psyllium plantain or linseed added to meals is of key importance. Vegetables should be included in most meals.

You should strictly limit ready meals, in-store sweets, low-quality confectionery and processed meats, as well as sweetened drinks and juices. Hard margarines are strictly prohibited. You should also eliminate all ready-made products containing hydrogenated vegetable oils from your diet, as they are a source of very harmful trans fats.

It is worth enriching the diet with soy products, but most of all fatty sea fish, e.g. herring, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, tuna or salmon (not farmed!), Which should be eaten as often as possible. They provide omega-3 fatty acids essential for your he alth.

If you eat fish less than 1-2 times a week, you should enrich your diet with a good fish oil supplement. It is not necessary to eliminate red meat, cheese, or eggs from your diet. Eggs are even recommended because they contain very little saturated fatty acids with a high dose of cholesterol. Animal products are best eaten in moderate amounts and be sure to combine them with vegetables.

Diet to lower cholesterol - what can you eat?

Very important ingredients in foods that help keep blood cholesterol levels he althy include dietary fiber, plant sterols and stanols, omega-3 fatty acids and soy products.

  • dietary fiber

Numerous scientific studies have shown the beneficial effects of soluble fiber in lowering blood cholesterol levels. Research focuses on the effects of psyllium plantain, oatmeal, guar gum and pectin. Insoluble fiber and cellulose are known to have no effect on cholesterol.

Soluble fiber's mechanism of action is probably due to its ability to bind cholesterol and bile acids, which limits intestinal absorption and increases excretion. Soluble fiber consumption lowers total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.HDL and triglyceride levels remain unchanged.

With the help of sufficiently high portions of dietary fiber, cholesterol levels can be lowered by up to 18%. The most common studies show a decrease in blood cholesterol by 10%. An effective dose of soluble fiber is considered to be 10 grams or more per day.

  • plant sterols and stanols

Plants produce substances with a structure very similar to cholesterol - sitosterol and campesterol. They are found in small amounts in plants such as corn, soybeans and sunflower seeds. As early as the 1950s, it was established that sterols lower blood cholesterol by interfering with its absorption in the gut.

Due to the small amount of sterols and stanols in plant sources, functional food that reduces cholesterol was created, enriched with appropriate doses of active substances. These are margarines and salad dressings. The effect of lowering cholesterol by 10-14% is observed with the consumption of 2 to 4 g of plant sterols and stanols per day (2-3 servings of functional food).

  • soy products

Soy and its products help lower blood cholesterol, probably due to the content of phytoestrogens, but the mechanism of action is unclear. Total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides were reduced after consuming at least 30 g of soy products per day. The decrease in cholesterol is usually 7-10%.

  • omega-3 fatty acids

Positive effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels after consuming fish oils were observed by analyzing the Inuit diet - rich in fat and cholesterol, but at the same time fatty fish. The key role in regulating the level of blood lipids is played by the omega-3 fatty acids: EPA and DHA, present in fish oils.

They are anticoagulant, anti-arrhythmic and anti-inflammatory. The recommended daily amount of fish oils is 6 - 15 g, and pure omega-3 fatty acids: 3 -5 g.

Find out what raises cholesterol

See the gallery of 7 photosWorth knowing

A diet to help control blood cholesterol is simply a rational, he althy diet based on a variety of foods, high in vegetables, and limited highly processed foods.

What products should you enrich your menu with?

  • oatmeal
  • walnuts
  • legume seeds
  • margarines enriched with plant sterols and stanols
  • soy products
  • oily sea fish
  • garlic
  • ginger
  • green tea
  • avocado
  • green vegetables
  • chia seeds
  • linseed
  • plantain psyllium
Try it out

Author: Time S.A

Remember that a properly selected diet will lower the concentration of "bad" cholesterol and help in the fight against cardiovascular diseases. Take advantage of JeszCoLubisz - the innovative dietary system of the He alth Guide and enjoy an individually selected plan and constant care of a dietitian. Take care of your he alth and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attack or stroke.

Find out more

Diet for lowering cholesterol - products indicated and contraindicated

Product groupRecommendedLimitedContraindicated
VegetablesAll--
FruitsAll of them, especially rich in pectin: apples, black currants, grapes, citrus fruits-Candied fruit, in sugar syrups
Grain productsWholemeal bread, pasta, thick groats, cereals: oat, ryeWhite pasta, small groatsWhite bread, ready-made mixes of muesli, crunchy, sweet breakfast cereals
Eggs and dairyEggs, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, yoghurt, kefir, natural buttermilkYellow cheese, feta, mozzarella, blue cheeseProcessed cheese, sweetened yoghurt, kefir, buttermilk
FatFish oils, vegetable fatsAnimal fats, butter, lardHardened vegetable oils, hard margarines
Meat and meat products, fishAny fish, especially fatty sea fish, chicken, turkey, rabbitBeef, porkLow-quality meat preparations, with the addition of polyphosphates, nitrites, etc., most canned goods, sausages, pates
Legume seedsAll--
Sweets-Prepared by yourself, with a little sugarReady-made shop sweets, donuts, buns, cakes with hardened vegetable oils

Good and bad cholesterol. What do you know about it?

Source: x-news.pl/Agencja TVN

Diet for lowering cholesterol - sample menu

Day I

  • Breakfast

Sandwiches made of wholemeal bread + margarine with plant sterols + a piece of roasted turkey breast Salad: a handful of spinach, tomato, cucumber, pepper + olive oil

  • 2nd breakfast

2 apples a handful of walnuts

  • Lunch

Pearl barley Pork ham stew with peppers, zucchini and tomatoes

  • Dinner

Carrot and pumpkin cream soup seasoned with ginger + mozzarella + roasted pumpkin seeds for sprinkling

Day II

  • Breakfast

Omelette with 3 eggs and 1 tbsp coconut flour + 2 tbsp peanut butter + coconut flakes + half a banana

  • 2nd breakfast

Chia Pudding: 150ml coconut milk + 50ml water + 3 tablespoons chia seeds. Mix thoroughly, cool. Place the strawberries on top

  • Lunch

Baked salmon with lemon and dill

  • Dinner

Salad: chickpeas + green cucumber + red onion + dried tomatoes + feta cheese

Day III

  • Breakfast

Oatmeal + chia + walnuts + grated apple

  • 2nd breakfast

Vegetables sliced ​​dipped in hummus

  • Lunch

Roasted chicken Baked sweet potato fries Salad: handful of lettuce + tomato + pepper + roasted sunflower seeds + olive oil

  • Dinner

Mackerel paste + wholemeal bread Sauerkraut salad

Worth knowing

Cholesterol is a lipid, either in free form or as an ester associated with fatty acids. This compound is synthesized in the body, and we supply it with the diet - butter, lard, meat and its products, eggs and dairy products. The daily dietary cholesterol intake is usually 250 - 500 mg per day, of which a maximum of 25 - 30% is absorbed in the intestines. The main organ that produces cholesterol is the liver, in which approx. 800 mg of cholesterol is synthesized daily, while in the whole body - approx. 1500 mg.

Excess cholesterol is excreted in the bile as free cholesterol or as bile s alts. A significant amount of it excreted in this way is reabsorbed in the intestines. The greater the absorption of cholesterol from the intestines, the more its production in the liver decreases.

About the authorAleksandra Żyłowska-Mharrab, dietician Food technologist, dietitian, educator. A graduate of Biotechnology at the Gdańsk University of Technology and Nutritional Services at the Maritime University. A supporter of simple, he althy cuisine and conscious choices in everyday nutrition. My main interests include building permanent changes in eating habits and individually composing a diet according to the body's needs. Because the same thing is not he althy for everyone! I think thatnutritional education is very important for both children and adults. I focus my activities on spreading knowledge about nutrition, analyze new research results, and make my own conclusions. I adhere to the principle that a diet is a lifestyle, not strict adherence to meals on a sheet of paper. There is always room for delicious pleasures in he althy and conscious eating.

Read more articles from this author

Category:

Diets