Keeping your cholesterol low helps support good heart health, and this can be achieved naturally with good diet, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle. A highly recommended idea is to include some fruits in your diet. Blueberries, strawberries, apples and others can be your great allies to eliminate cholesterol.
Fruits that fight cholesterol
The following fruits can be a great health contribution to the body, since these foods naturally contain vitamins and minerals that the body needs to stay in optimal conditions. You will be able to know in depth the function of each fruit to regulate cholesterol and also learn the correct combination of these fruits, to avoid digestive problems.
1. apple
The apples are an effective tool to fight high cholesterol and one or two a day would have a powerful cardioprotective effect on reducing bad cholesterol and boost good, according to the University of Florida in the US Their pectin content and polyphenols (antioxidants) would be those that improve lipid metabolism and avoid the risk of heart disease.
Silent enemy
Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty-type substance that exists naturally in all parts of the body. The body needs a certain amount of cholesterol to function properly. But too much cholesterol in the blood can increase the risk of heart disease. (US National Library of Medicine)
2. Blueberry
These small bluish fruits contain a compound called pterostilbene (natural antioxidant), which allows the reduction of LDL or bad cholesterol. Drinking an 8-ounce (250ml) glass of juice would increase high-density lipoproteins (HDL, or good cholesterol) in your blood, according to Laval University in Québec, Canada.
Where does cholesterol come from?
From two sources: the body and food. The liver and other cells produce about 75% of the cholesterol in the blood. The other 25% comes from food, more specifically "animal" products, according to the American Heart Association (AHA, its acronym in English).
3. Strawberry
In addition to being delicious, strawberries have other virtues, including reducing the levels of bad cholesterol in the walls of the arteries. According to the Polytechnic University of the Marche in Italy, after consuming half a cup of strawberries a day for a month, a group of volunteers demonstrated the powers of the fruit.
Why is cholesterol unhealthy?
If you have high cholesterol, your body may store it in your arteries. Over time, it can harden, narrow your arteries, and completely clog them. If an artery that supplies blood to the heart muscles becomes blocked, a heart attack can occur.
4. Grapes
The grape is not only the raw material of the wine or part of the tradition of the 12 chimes at the end of the year, it is also an ideal fruit to fight high cholesterol. A study from the University of California determined that drinking grape juice slows the oxidation of bad cholesterol and contributes to maintaining a healthy heart, and in turn inhibits the processing of cholesterol at the liver level and promotes its elimination.
The good, the bad, the total
The blood carries cholesterol to cells in special carrier particles called lipoproteins. Two of the most important are low density (LDL or bad cholesterol) and high density (HDL or good cholesterol). Doctors evaluate the relationship between LDL, HDL, and triglycerides, and the relationship between these and total cholesterol.
5. Plums
The plum is a fruit that contains anthocyanins (natural antioxidant), substances that reduce the absorption of bad cholesterol. In addition, thanks to its high content of soluble and insoluble fiber, it helps to trap and drag excess cholesterol obtained through food, eliminating it from the body (University of Florida).
High cholesterol population
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), more than 98 million adults in the US have cholesterol levels of 200 mg / dl or higher. Of those people, nearly 34 million have cholesterol levels of 240 mg / dl or higher. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 4 deaths is due to heart disease.
6. Oranges
This fruit is usually associated with vitamin C, however, if you have unhealthy cholesterol levels, drinking orange juice can have great benefits, according to research published in the journal Nutrition Research. The juice would provide a significant dose of hespetidin, an ideal antioxidant to fight bad cholesterol.
7. Kiwi
Kiwi is a fruit that should not be missing from your diet if you want to keep cholesterol at bay. It contains dietary fiber in the form of pectins that is not only essential to combat constipation but also to regulate blood cholesterol levels by preventing its absorption in the intestine.
8. Pears
Pear is within the group of fruits with properties to lower cholesterol thanks to its abundant content of natural fiber in the form of pectin that prevents the reabsorption of intestinal cholesterol produced by bile for the digestion of food. Fiber slows down intestinal transit and lowers bad cholesterol levels in the blood.
9. Granada
The high content of antioxidants and polyphenols in pomegranate make it a great ally for heart health. A cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, pomegranate juice may block or slow the build-up of cholesterol in your arteries when you have persistent high levels of lipids in your blood.
10. Pineapple
Pineapple is another fruit high in pectin and fiber, which lowers cholesterol and promotes healthy bowel function. Fiber allows you to capture excess fats and eliminate them from the body, reduces the metabolism of fat and the formation of bad cholesterol at the liver level, according to the University of Maryland.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects the way the body treats glucose (sugar) in the blood. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the pancreas cannot produce insulin, a hormone that allows the body’s cells to use glucose and produce energy. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is a two-part affliction: first, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, and second, insulin can no longer play its role properly because the body’s cells are unaffected by it (insulin resistance).