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Diet against high cholesterol, foods to avoid

2023-05-25 19:25:58Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Diet against high cholesterol, foods to avoid
Diet against high cholesterol, foods to avoid

Cholesterol has a very important function in the body.

It is essential for normal brain development, but also for the synthesis of several hormones and is a precursor of vitamin D.

Cholesterol itself is a friend. Only if it is too much, it complicates things.

In our body, cholesterol has two faces, one good and the other bad. The first is labeled with the abbreviation HDL, the second is called LDL.

What causes excess?

High cholesterol is one of the main risk factors for heart attack because if it is in excess, LDL cholesterol tends to deposit on the walls of the arteries, causing progressive thickening and hardening, or atherosclerosis.

If nothing is done, real plaques can form over time that impede blood flow and can even block it.

The plaques can also break off and form a clot, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Whereas HDL cholesterol is good as it cleans the floors of the arteries by erasing "fatty spots", with a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases.

Before taking supplements or medications to lower the cholesterol value, it is often effective and sufficient to intervene with a dietary approach.

Those struggling with high cholesterol wonder where they went wrong: The Mediterranean diet is already low in cholesterol, but above all low in saturated fatty acids and sugars and therefore ideal for keeping cholesterol within limits.

For years, the index has focused on individual foods and the amount of cholesterol they contain, but for some time the "calculation" has been done in a slightly different way.

In recent years, scientific research has found that it is not so much dietary cholesterol that increases what circulates in the blood, but saturated fatty acids and the choice of carbohydrates to eat.

So the first rule is: few sugars and whole grains.

Foods that lower LDL

In terms of individual food choices, the most protective role is that of fiber.

Green light next for fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. Vegetables and fruits should be present every day at least in the two main meals and then also as a healthy snack.

Whole grains should be consumed at least twice a day.

Barley and oats, in particular, contain beta-glucans which reduce bad cholesterol.

If the main culprits for excess LDL are saturated fats and sugars, you can draw up a list of food categories to avoid: These are spices of animal origin, processed meats and sausages, packaged products.

This is because they may contain fatty acids, which are really harmful to health.

They can be found in some industrial products due to the manufacturing process, although the European Union has implemented regulations to limit and eliminate the presence of these fats.

Some individual foods deserve a focus because of their intrinsic cholesterol content.

Eggs are a food with an excellent nutritional profile, but given that a single egg provides around 200 mg of cholesterol, the advice is to stay below 300 mg per day.

Recent studies have highlighted, however, that there is no direct link between egg consumption and increased cardiovascular risk, so much so that international bodies no longer set a limit on egg consumption.

2 to 4 a week is fine.

Another food that is always pointed out is cheese.

Cheeses contain a lot of fat, especially saturated fat, in fact in this case the advice is to always limit them to 2-3 times a week.

Milk should also be consumed skimmed or partially skimmed.

Finally, it is the doctor who should look at the blood tests and give the first advice about personal and family risk factors, as well as decide when to start screening to monitor cholesterol levels.


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