Cholesterol is essential for life, but increased fat levels in the blood damage the blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Cholesterol performs important tasks in the human body, for example it supports hormone production and serves as protection during cell construction. Excessive LDL cholesterol levels cause vasoconstriction, arteriosclerosis and can trigger thrombosis. Eating a healthy diet low in saturated fats in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, and fish lowers high cholesterol.
Lower cholesterol levels: change your lifestyle, adjust your diet
High cholesterol is dangerous because it doesn’t initially cause any obvious symptoms. Only when a secondary disease such as a heart attack occurs, for example, are the cholesterol levels checked as part of the medical check-ups. By then at the latest, those affected should reconsider their lifestyle and adapt it on the recommendation of the treating doctor in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases. The following foods can help lower harmful LDL cholesterol and increase healthy HDL cholesterol in the blood.
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- Thanks to their pectins, lemons can accelerate saturation in the body and not only help with weight loss. Pectins also reduce excess LDL cholesterol, reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis and the consequences such as heart attack or stroke.
- Experts recommend eating two apples a day to lower cholesterol levels.
- If you eat vegetables regularly, you can keep your blood lipid levels within the normal range. The carotenoids in peppers are thought to lower harmful LDL cholesterol. Tomatoes, fresh or canned, on the other hand, increase the healthy HDL cholesterol in the blood due to their coloring agent lycopene and thus prevent deposits in blood vessels.
- Not only do cucumbers help with weight loss, but they also lower harmful cholesterol. The healthy vegetable has antioxidant, anti-diabetic properties and regulates blood lipid levels.
- Eating spinach not only helps to counteract fatty liver. The green leafy vegetables also lower high cholesterol levels.
- Thanks to their secondary plant substances such as saponins, peas and legumes can also bind cholesterol in the intestine and thus reduce it.
- Eating high-fiber foods like oatmeal and oat bran regularly can help reduce the risk of fatty liver and lower cholesterol levels. Oats contain beta-glucan, which reduces blood cholesterol and prevents arteriosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes.
- According to study Nuts, especially walnuts, have a positive effect on the fat metabolism in the body. Anyone who eats 43 grams of walnuts a day – the equivalent of a little more than a handful – can reduce the proportion of harmful LDL cholesterol in the blood by around five percent.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editorial team cannot answer individual questions about clinical pictures.
The article was created using machine assistance and carefully reviewed by editor Natalie Hull-Dichsel before publication.