Dietary Ways To Lower Your LDL Cholesterol
Have you been told to lower your LDL cholesterol level? Have you been told which foods to avoid or which foods are important to consume when you are trying to lower your LDL cholesterol level? Here is a quick guide to some of the foods that may help you to lower your LDL cholesterol level. Your doctor or nutritionist is your best source for dietary advice when it comes to lowering your cholesterol, this article can be an excellent springboard for that discussion with your healthcare team.
Oatmeal:
Oatmeal made from ground oats is a rich source of water-soluble dietary fibers, in particular: beta glucan. Oatmeal was one of the first foods to carry the U.S. Food and Drug Administration label for its heart healthy distinction based on promising research findings.
In studies conducted on adults oatmeal has been found to lower the LDL cholesterol by as much as 10% when individuals have consumed at least 40 to 60 grams of oatmeal a day – that is about one bowl of oatmeal. The more oatmeal you eat, the lower you can make your LDL cholesterol go. You do need to watch the additives placed in oatmeal that might not be so heart healthy including butter, chocolate, whole milk, and cheese. You need to check the ingredients on the label of instant oatmeal to be sure it doesn’t contain ingredients that are unhealthy for your heart. Be sure to check the fat content of any packaged product.
Soy:
Soy products have a reputation for not only being a good way to improve your overall health, but as a dietary tool in lowering your cholesterol levels. Soy products such as tofu, soy beverages, soybean burgers, and soy nuts are among those soy products that are recognized as being of benefit to those wishing to lower their LDL cholesterol levels.
Soy products contain isoflavones, which are estrogen-like elements found in certain plants. Soy is an excellent protein source when cutting out animal foods from your diet as many individuals are advised to do when trying to lower their blood cholesterol LDL level.
Studies of soy in diets of at least 25 grams and an optimum amount of 50 grams a day have shown to lower low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol but not the high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol or the triglyceride level.
The studies also show that the effect on lowering LDL cholesterol has only been averaging 3% of those studied.
Cinnamon:
Most of the talk about the health benefits of cinnamon has been about its possible benefits regarding lowering blood sugar in those with diabetes. Scientists are studying the effects of cinnamon on LDL cholesterol blood levels and have so far not had a chance to reach any conclusions as of yet. The studies are promising though that they may be a benefit regarding cinnamon and our quest to lower our blood cholesterol (LDL) because some of the studies have shown that cinnamon has a dual affect; not only does it appear to lower blood glucose levels but so far they show that they can lower lipid levels as well.
More studies are needed before any conclusive evidence can be presented. Part of the delay is that some of the studies have been conducted using a powdered form of cinnamon and others with an extract of cinnamon; others have used cassia cinnamon in experiments.
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