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 everyday. 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.
About the author:
Sharon Hopkins has been managing a number of natural home
remedies websites which gives information on
Home based
remedies for cholesterol level by eating pectin based
fruits and vegetables.
