Vitality News Health Articles

Once cholesterol has been produced in the liver, it is carried throughout the body by the bloodstream. Unfortunately, if an excess of cholesterol is produced, the unused cholesterol may begin to adhere to artery walls leading to cardiovascular diseases.

Although too much cholesterol is bad for you - as should be noted when planning to review cholesterol lowering diet - it is nevertheless still needed for effential functions in the body. The most important fact to remember is that toom much is bad, not that all cholesterol is bad for your health.

The American Heart Association recently (2002) prescribed eating at least two servings of fish per week as an effective diet plan to lower high cholesterol. Not only does fish provide a good source of protein, but has also been discovered to contain high levels of omega 3 fatty acids, which has been proven to lower LDL “bad” cholesherol and boost HDL “good” cholesterol.

Soluble fiber is known to be plentiful in oat bran and oatmeal. An advantage of soluble fiber is that it reduces LDL cholesterol, also called bad low density lipoprotein. Moreover, soluble fiber doesn’t lower HDL cholesterol, which is also called good high density lipoprotein. Some have said that eating five to ten grams of soluble fiber per day can reduce LDL cholesterol by about 5%. Hence, any diet plan to lower high cholesterol must contain oatmeal and oat bran.

In addition to being rich in phytonutrients and fiber, nuts contain antioxidants, including Vitamin E and selenium. Moreover, nuts contain high amouts of plant steroids and fat, especially monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The types of fats in nuts have all been proven to reduce harmful bad LDL cholesterol.

In 1999 the FDA ruled that soy was a great benefit to heart health in heart health diet reviews and cholesterol reduction in studies. But after its great benefit being heavily contested, the AHA Nutrition Committee now no longer recommends eating soy to lower cholesterol. While soy may not be in every diet plan to lower high cholesterol, it is said to still be able to reduce bad LDL cholesterol by 3 percent.

The absorption of cholesterol by the body can be blocked by sterols found in plants. LDL cholesterol levels can be reduced by 10 to 15 percent by a diet that contains two servings a day of sterol-fortified foods. A diet containing 2 grams of plant sterols a day is recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program for people with high cholesterol.

Plant sterols can be found in sterol-fortified foods such as salad dressings, orange juice, and margarine spread. They normally have at least a gram of plant steols per serving, but you should always read the labels for precise details on portion size and usage direction. Also, plant sterols are only recommended for people with high levels of LDL cholesterol, so they may not be right for you.

- Mark Green