5 Foods That Help Reduce and Eliminate Bad Cholesterol Naturally

 

Do you struggle to maintain your cholesterol levels? Let's dive deep into these natural food sources that will help reduce and maintain bad cholesterol levels (LDL) in the body and increase good cholesterol levels (LDL). 

To manage cholesterol levels in the body, we first need to understand what cholesterol really is and how it affects our body and overall health.

Why Cholesterol Matters?

Cholesterol refers to a type of fat or lipid molecule that is essential for our body and its various functions. These lipoproteins are passed on to the other parts of the body through the bloodstream and can cause heart problems when not maintained properly. Produced by our liver naturally, cholesterol (a type of fat) is required by our body to perform functions like hormone production and secretion, cell membrane formation, protecting organs and the stomach from digestive acids, as well as aiding in digestion. 

HDL v/s LDL, Which is better?

Cholesterol as a whole is the amount of fat that is present in the body and is essential to maintain a healthy functioning body. There are essentially two types of cholesterol in the body, good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol, or High-density lipoprotein (HDL), is a type of cholesterol that performs all the necessary functions in the body and maintains a good balance of fat deposits in the veins. 

On the contrary, Bad cholesterol or Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the kind of fat that is a cluster of unwanted fats in the body that ideally has no function in support of the body, but rather gets deposited in the body, causing weight gain/obesity or blockage in the blood flow resulting in various heart and liver diseases. 

Significance of Diet in Maintaining Cholesterol Levels

A normal balanced diet is something that has a perfect amount of all essential nutrients in a meal that the body needs. With today's hectic lifestyle and bad eating habits people are consuming more of processed refined food items that are rich in saturated and trans-fat, which are really bad for our body. 

They not only lead to obesity and overweight issues but also hinder normal body functions, hormonal imbalance, and heart and liver problems, which can really degrade the body internally and cause nutrient depletion and a weak immune system, making it prone to more infections and health conditions.

A good diet rich in unsaturated fats, lots of vitamins and minerals, whole foods, and digestible fiber not only improves our gut health and lowers the accumulation of bad cholesterol but also helps with clearing any deposited fat within the veins or arteries for a smooth blood flow. This would, in return, balance the cholesterol levels in the body, maintain blood pressure levels, and also maintain a healthy weight, all required to have a healthy heart.

8 Foods That Help Lower Bad Cholesterol Naturally

Whole Grains ( Oats, Quinoa, Brown rice)

Opting for a fiber-rich diet that incorporates whole grains, millets, legumes, and high fiber oats, quinoa, brown rice, and whole wheat items helps aid digestion and improve the gut health as well. Having proper digestion is essential to removing bad cholesterol or bad fat from the body.

These high fiber grains and millets contain both soluble and insoluble fibers that help maintain a healthy body weight and eliminate excess fat deposits from the body. Soluble fiber binds the unwanted fat with it and excretes it from the body, while the insoluble fiber helps improve the gut bacteria and maintains a healthy production of good cholesterol in the body. 

Avocado

Avocados have become significantly popular within a few years, with almost everybody incorporating avocados in their meals at least once a day. Rich in nutrients, minerals, and healthy fats like monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), avocado is a great example of a fat-rich food source that helps maintain good cholesterol and remove bad fats from the body.

With their smooth butter-like texture and mashable insides, avocados are pretty versatile to use and are mostly used as spreads on top of whole grain bread and also in the form of salads and stuffing. Although rich in good fats, avocado should be eaten in a controlled portion size to achieve the best results and lower bad cholesterol naturally from the body.  

Fenugreek Seeds

Seeds in general are a rich source of fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins, with most of them just being a good source of fiber and a bit good fatty acids. Fenugreek seeds are known to be much more effective when it comes to cholesterol breakdown and healthy fat maintenance.

Rich in dietary fibers and nutrients, fenugreek seeds help remove fat deposits from the body and also produce a component called Saponins. Saponins are compounds found specifically in fenugreek seeds that interfere with cholesterol production in the liver and help lower bad cholesterol (LDLs) levels in the body. Fenugreek seeds also help accelerate the removal of fat accumulations from the body and maintain good health. 

Dark Leafy Vegetables (Spinach, Kale, Beet greens)

Leafy greens are rich in dietary fiber, minerals, and full of antioxidants that help fight free radicals and maintain blood pressure by eliminating plaque formation in the arteries. 

With the rise of bad cholesterol and plaque buildup in the blood vessels, it increases the pressure on the artery walls and starts forming blood clots that can result in high blood pressure, eventually causing a heart attack. Dark leafy vegetables like kale, spinach are a great source of dietary fiber and antioxidants that help remove plaque and clear the blood flow within the body.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is considered to be one of the healthiest oil options available today, with a variety in its forms, like virgin olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, indicating the amount of processing done to it. With a large variety available in the market, extra virgin olive oil is considered the healthiest as it is the least processed and is in its purest raw form. 

This is also the reason why it is recommended to be used as it is, and to be heated, as it may lose its nutrients and monounsaturated healthy fats. Fats tend to change their structure when heated for too long and can turn into a bad source of fat when not used correctly. Olive oil, being rich in MUFAs and antioxidants, help maintain good cholesterol levels in the body.