High cholesterol is a disease that is often feared by many people. Not without reason, high cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Not only attacking the elderly, high cholesterol can also attack young people in this modern era. Lifestyle factors are one of the triggers.
The risk of high cholesterol and the threat it poses to health can be frightening. However, experts believe that small lifestyle changes can help lower cholesterol.
"It's not about increasing or decreasing egg yolks, which is probably the most misunderstood information you'll ever hear when it comes to lowering cholesterol, but rather about focusing on sticking to a higher quality diet so that over time, it just becomes your way of life and doesn't require any effort." constantly," medical expert Laura Burak told Eat This, Not That!.
Here are 5 easy, safe, and natural ways to lower high cholesterol according to experts, compiled from Eat This, Not That!. Come on, see!
Consumption of Whole Foods
There are certain foods that you should avoid or limit if you have high cholesterol. For example, processed meat, fast food, duck, and others, as reported by detikFood.
Therefore, experts recommend eating whole foods to maintain cholesterol levels and overall health. Whole foods or whole foods means foods that come from natural food ingredients that contain all the edible parts and have not been removed or reduced from the edible parts, quoted from the National Consumer Protection Agency.
Examples of recommended nutritious whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, and fatty fish such as salmon, which have been shown to help increase blood lipids.
Consumption of Oats
Oats are known as a food with various health benefits. Starting from improving gut health, helping to maintain weight, increasing insulin resistance, and helping lower cholesterol.
"Oats contain a fiber called beta-glucan, which basically helps remove cholesterol from the body," says medical expert Lauren Manaker.
Avoid Processed Foods and Added Sugar
Eating lots of whole foods on a regular basis is one of the keys to lowering cholesterol. According to Burak, staying away from added sugar and processed foods is also beneficial for heart health.
"Contrary to what you might have believed about cholesterol in the past, the amount of added sugar in our modern diet is a major contributor to high cholesterol and heart disease, not bad foods like eggs and dairy," says Burak.
"Therefore, it is very important to limit the intake of processed foods and added sugars such as candy and pastries," he added.
Watermelon Consumption
Not only delicious and fresh, watermelon is also beneficial for health, especially for heart health.
"Watermelon is a natural source of lycopene, a carotenoid that, when taken daily in certain doses, can lower LDL cholesterol levels," says Maanker.
According to results from a clinical trial published in Current Developments in Nutrition, eating watermelon is associated with a decrease in LDL cholesterol and an increase in HDL cholesterol.
Consumption of Berries
Not only watermelon, other fruits that can help lower cholesterol are berries. Berries can help improve overall health, and heart health in particular.
"Berries are a naturally sweet food with no added sugar and full of good nutrients that are beneficial for heart health. Data from a meta-analysis showed that consumption of berries significantly reduced LDL cholesterol levels, making them a good choice for lowering cholesterol," says Manager.
If you have trouble finding fresh berries around your home, you can choose frozen berries. According to the Manager, frozen berries are just as nutritious as fresh ones.
