Cholesterol is a main contributing factor in causing heart attacks. However, our own bodies make cholesterol so it can not be all that bad. In fact, we need some cholesterol and apart from that there are two kinds, one of which is called ‘good cholesterol’ and the other as ‘bad cholesterol’.

LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the ‘bad cholesterol and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the ‘good cholesterol’. Both are fatty, waxy substances made in the liver that float about the body in the blood. LDL levels can increase to the degree that it can clog blood vessels and interfere with the operation of the heart causing heart disease and heart attack. LDL comes usually from the ingestion of saturated fats in red meat, full-fat milk, cheese and cream and from hydrogenated trans fats.

HDL assists clear out the LDL, so a diet that is good for cholesterol will endeavour to reduce the consumption of LDL-producing food and increase the consumption of HDL-producing food. In general, the foods that do this are fruits, vegetables, grains and fish. However, a high cholesterol level (bad cholesterol, that is) is more complex than just diet. It is also important to maintain a correct body weight and to exercise on a regular basis.

Keeping healthy levels of cholesterol is actually an on-going maintenance programme and has a great deal to do with simply living an lively, healthy life. This means not eating a lot of red meat, eating fish twice a week, eating at least five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day, not over doing the dairy products, drinking skimmed milk (or none at all), cutting back on cheese and varying your diet and exercising each day, even if it is just in the fashion of going for a walk twice a day.

Although there can be genetic causes for high cholesterol, most individuals can resolve this difficulty fairly easily by exercise and diet. Doctors say that cutting out all kinds of saturated fat and trans fat is the single most valuable way of decreasing your LDL cholesterol levels, so that is the obvious way to begin. Grains and pulses are good because they contain so much fibre which is functional for removing cholesterol.

This suggests that eating porridge in the morning instead of bacon and eggs yet having some form of lentil soup with whole grain bread before dinner would be steps in the right direction. Snacks throughout the day yet sweet at mealtimes should become fruit. Citrus fruits are particularly decent at helping to remove cholesterol

Other items of food that are thought to lower cholesterol are nuts like walnuts and almonds; onions and garlic; olive oil and soya bean products. Although cooking in olive oil will help a lot, it is also a good step to avoid frying whenever there is a possibility of cooking in another manner. Grilling and steaming are the best ways of cooking most fish and vegetables and it assists retain the vitamin and nutrient content of the food as well.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on numerous topics, but is now concerned with low fat low cholesterol diet. If you want to know more, please visit our site at What Foods Lower Cholesterol?

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