What Factors Contribute to High Cholesterol?
Inadequate diets among the population are a determining factor in this hypercholesterolemia . And it is that there are many people who include numerous fats of animal origin, saturated fats and alcohol in their diet, partly because of the speed that our lives demand. However, there are other factors that make it possible to increase cholesterolin our body such as: liver diseases, endocrine and kidney diseases, along with the administration of certain drugs and genetic predisposition to hypercholesterolemia. The latter, a hereditary disease that is expressed from birth, is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes the LDL receptor (these receptors are responsible for removing cholesterol from the blood) and causes an increase in blood cholesterol, mainly cholesterol carried by low-density lipoproteins (LDL or bad cholesterol) .
Solution (Diet to Lower Cholesterol)
The treatment of this pathology requires a change in lifestyle: healthy eating, reducing alcohol intake, quitting smoking, avoiding excess weight and physical exercise are the necessary weapons to combat this pathology, which in some cases requires drug use. But what is the real key? Without a doubt, food.
To achieve our goal, to control the dreaded cholesterol , we have to base our diet on foods such as: fruits and vegetables, five servings a day; vegetables; whole grains (bread, pasta, rice); legumes (three servings a week); oily fish (at least three servings a week (tuna, sardines, anchovies, salmon…); nuts (walnuts, almonds) and virgin olive oil.
These foods provide us with nutrients that help us reduce blood cholesterol levels and increase the so-called HDL-cholesterol (good cholesterol) because they provide monounsaturated fatty acids (present in virgin olive oil), omega-3 fatty acids (fish blue), plant sterols/stanols (in vegetable oils or incorporated into dairy products), antioxidants (as fruits and vegetables).
Foods to Avoid for Diet to Lower Cholesterol
On the other hand we have to avoid those foods that in their own composition include abundant fat that is harmful to the heart. It’s simple. For example, you can substitute whole dairy for skimmed; butter for olive oil and fatty meats for lean meats with little fat, such as rabbit or skinless chicken. As for sausages, egg yolks, commercial fried foods and industrial pastries: you should avoid them.
If you doubt how to cook to avoid cholesterol, it is advisable to use low-fat cooking methods such as: baked, grilled, grilled, microwaved, roasted or steamed.
- Consume 30-35% fat, mainly in the form of fish and virgin olive oil.
- Saturated fat should be reduced. It is recommended that it be less than 10% of the diet.
- Eat less than 7% polyunsaturated fat.
- Limit monounsaturated fat to 15-20% of the diet.
- Consume less than 300 mg of cholesterol, 50-55% carbohydrates and 15% protein.
- Take 20-30 g of fiber and enough calories to maintain a healthy weight.
