Kick your high LDL cholesterol levels to the curb. You need help to fight your battle against cholesterol. These five natural foods when added to your arsenal might be key to watching those numbers drop. You are in this war to win.
*Oats
Highly advertised on television as a powerful cholesterol-lowering agent, the oat is probably the most well-known of these foods. The oats have a deep history in Scotland, where it is the main staple of the Scottish diet. When the Scots settled in Vermont, they brought oats with them. Interestingly enough this background has made Vermont the state that eats the most oats.
The property of oat that helps in the fight against cholesterol is its soluble fiber. Soluble fiber makes it harder for LDL cholesterol to be absorbed into the blood stream while food is digesting in your intestines. Thus there is less bad LDL cholesterol that makes it into the bloodstream and therefore less to stick to and harden inside the walls of your arteries.
Oatmeal is not the only way to get your oats. Companies have added oats to cereal, bread and pasta thus giving you a wide variety of ways to consume your oats. Don’t be afraid to put more oats in your diet. They really are good for you.
*Garlic
This little bulb has been around and used for centuries. The bulb was nailed to doors and hung around necks to ward off vampires and other evil spirits. Some believe that eating the bulb can increase desire or the body’s chi. Garlic is also used heavily in Mediterranean and Chinese cooking, which is probably why you don’t hear much about Chinese vampires, lol.
Of course, the most advertised property of garlic is its cholesterol & blood pressure lowering properties. Garlic is a natural antioxidant. It is thought that it helps prevent the LDLs from building up on the artery walls. Adding garlic as part of a healthy diet can help you lower cholesterol levels as well as help you fight the common cold.
Garlic is available in many forms. It can be eaten raw. Although, it’s resulting tang on the tongue might be a little too much for some people to handle. In cooking, the strength of the smell and taste of garlic is diluted. This results in a more palatable concoction for most people. It can also be taken in powder or pill form as part of a supplement.
*Onions
Garlic is usually associated with its close cousin, the onion. The two naturally go together. Historically, onions were probably more popular than garlic. As a side note, the onion used to be an easy and acceptable form of payment for historic renters. Personally, i would prefer a gold coin, but who am I to critique my elders.
The onion is an important source of the nutrient chromium and B6 vitamins. Both nutrients are linked to reducing cholesterol levels and preventing heart disease. Along with its cholesterol lowering properties, the onion has other benefits including reducing the risk of cancer.
Tragically, there are only two ways to eat an onion, raw or cooked. Yet with such a wide variety of onions available, it should be relatively easy to find a variety that goes well with your taste buds. If you don’t like the sharp taste of stronger onions, try the sweet variety.
*Virgin Olive Oil
Olive oil is another extremely potent fighterin the war against high cholesterol. Produce mainly in Greece, Homer once stated that olive oil was liquid gold. The highly valued oil holds a high place for use in religious ceremonies. Perhaps its most unusual use was a mouthwash for bad breath.
Olive oil contains a high amount of monounsaturated fats. These fats help lower your LDL cholesterol levels. Just by replacing your regular cooking oil, you can control the amount of bad fats that you are consuming.
Olive oil can be bought in any supermarket as cooking oil. Companies are adding this cholesterol-lowering oil to salad dressings and in the creation of mayonnaise. Olive oil is also available to take as a supplement in pills.
*Primrose Oil
The primrose is one of the native plants of North and South America. The pretty yellow flowers open at night instead of during the day. Once it was known as Kings cureall, For its variety of unsubstantiated healing properties.
Primrose oil contains a high level of essential fatty acids. These fatty acids contribute to lowering your cholesterol levels. Furthermore, primrose oil can help treat eczema and even help relieve PMS symptoms.
Primrose oil is available in pill form as a dietary supplement. You can find it in grocery stores and drug stores.
The fight against high cholesterol is a constant battle. These powerful foods are merely aids to help you drop those numbers. When used in conjunction with a healthy diet, these foods can help you win the battle with high ldl cholesterol.
Many people believe eating foods such as margarine, yogurt and cream cheese helps to reduce their cholesterol levels. When in fact, you need to eat such a significant amount to benefit from its cholesterol lowering properties that we exceed our daily fat intake.
Plant sterols are the key ingredient to help lower cholesterol levels (this is what is found in special yogurts and margarine) yet in the West we consume far less than anywhere else in the world. In fact we need to eat 14 times more vegetables to have a cholesterol lowering effect.
I work for a product called Lestrin, a natural food supplement, that contains just the right amount of plant sterols to help maintain your cholesterol at a healthy level. You need four tablets of Lestrin a day and they can either be taken with water, or eaten with food.
They are available from Boot & Holland & Barrett and from the website above.