11 Foods and Two Beverages that lower Cholesterol

11 Foods and Two Beverages that lower Cholesterol and Why?

Can you eat your way to lower cholesterol levels? Yes, according to a recent report from Harvard Health. Eating the right kinds of foods, and drinking the right beverages, can help you lower your cholesterol without drugs and their harmful side effects. You also have to eat less of the wrong kinds of foods and drink less of the wrong kinds of beverages.

The bad vs. the good: Confused about which kind of cholesterol is good and which is bad? Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is bad for you (except in moderate amounts). High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is good for you.

Exercise helps too. It raises good HDL cholesterol levels. Even moderate physical activity helps, as long as you keep at it. If you can maintain a high-intensity workout schedule, that helps even more.

Alkaline water can help lower your cholesterol! Click here for more information on cholesterol reduction and other health benefits of alkaline water

How foods can lower cholesterol levels

There are three ways that foods can lower your cholesterol levels. Some foods provide soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and it’s precursors in the gut. Once bound, the cholesterol can then be excreted from the body in the stool. Other foods deliver polyunsaturated fats, which actually reduce levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad kind of cholesterol) in the body. Third, some foods contain plant sterols and stanols, which prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol.

Foods that lower cholesterol

Apples: Are rich in pectin, which is a type of soluble fiber

Barley and whole grains: Provide you with soluble fiber, which can help reduce your risk of heart disease along with lowering your cholesterol levels.

Beans: Are loaded with soluble fiber. They take a long time to digest, so they make you feel full longer after a meal. This makes beans a great choice for people who are trying to lose weight.

Citrus fruits: Such as oranges, grapefruit, and lemon provide pectin, which is a soluble fiber

Eggplant: Good source of soluble fiber. Note: People with arthritis may want to avoid eggplant, it’s a nightshade vegetable and can trigger painful inflammation in some people with arthritis.

Fatty fish: Eating fish lowers cholesterol by replacing the bad LDL cholesterol provided by meats with omega-3 fats, which lower cholesterol levels.

Foods fortified with sterols and stanols: Many foods have sterols and stanols added to them, your best bet is to read the label. Some examples include: chocolate, granola bars, margarine, and orange juice.

Grapes: Are rich in pectin, a non-soluble fiber.

Nuts: Eating 2 ounces of nuts per day can lower cholesterol levels by 5%. Nuts provide nutrients that are good for your heart.

Okra: Supplies non-soluble fiber.

Soy: Consuming 25 grams of soy per day can lower LDL cholesterol by 5% – 6%. 25 grams is approximately 10 ounces of tofu or 2 ½ cups of soy milk.

Two beverages that lower cholesterol levels

Tea, especially some herbal teas, and antioxidant alkaline water both can help lower cholesterol levels. In fact, you can give cholesterol a knockout “one-two punch” by making your tea with antioxidant alkaline water!

Note: Bottled alkaline water isn’t an antioxidant: You can’t get the benefits described here if you use bottled alkaline water because it has no antioxidant potential.

Antioxidant alkaline water and tea help lower cholesterol levels because they supply antioxidant potential. Antioxidants break down cholesterol which prevents it from clogging arteries and enables the body to expel it.

When you make your tea with alkaline water, it increases the number of tea catechins – antioxidant compounds from tea leaves – that you get in your tea. Making your tea with alkaline water also reduces the formation of tea cream: Deposits that form on the bottom of your teacup. Tea cream robs tea of antioxidant benefit, so making your tea with alkaline water helps preserve and increase your tea’s antioxidant benefit. For best results, use the highest pH (level 4) alkaline water your water ionizer can make. The higher the pH, the lesser tea cream forms in your cup.

Antioxidant alkaline water doubles the amount of antioxidant gallic acid in your tea. Gallic acid acts as an antioxidant, antifungal, and antiviral agent. It protects your body from harmful invaders while dissolving cholesterol. The higher the antioxidant potential of the alkaline water you use, the higher the amount of gallic acid you will have in your tea.

Top-of-the-line Life Ionizers can reach a pH level of over 11, with an antioxidant potential of over -800 ORP! Making your tea with alkaline water that powerful will maximize the health benefits of the tea.

Foods to avoid because they raise cholesterol

Saturated fats and trans fats are the two main sources of bad LDL cholesterol in foods, but the whole truth is a bit more complex than that: Saturated fats can lower triglyceride levels and boost levels of good HDL cholesterol. The best choice is to eat the foods containing saturated fats in moderation, you don’t have them avoid entirely. You should avoid foods with trans fats entirely, trans fats are not good for you in any amount.

Saturated fats: Eggs, red meats, whole fat dairy products, and oils including palm oil, coconut oil (there is some evidence for beneficial health effects from coconut oil) and cocoa butter. These foods can be part of a healthy diet when consumed in moderation.

Trans fats: Trans fats are produced by a chemical reaction that turns vegetable oil into margarine or shortening. It is well established that trans fats in any amount are bad for your heart. Trans fats increase bad LDL cholesterol and harmful triglyceride levels and decrease levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol.

The FDA recently banned trans fats from all foods: They will be phased out in three years. Until then read the label carefully on margarine, shortenings, and any pre-prepared foods.

Exercising to cut cholesterol: How much, when, and what kinds help

Regular exercise will help lower your levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and at the same time, it helps increase your levels of good HDL cholesterol. Exercise also helps protect your heart; 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise provides significant protection against heart disease. Combining aerobic and strength training is the best way to reduce your risk of heart disease.

How much and when: The American Heart Association (AMA) recommends an average of 40 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic activity, three or four times per week. For best results, the AMA recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.

Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise regimen, and tell your doctor if you plan to engage in an intense exercise regimen. Intense training can increase your risk of heart attack if you are at risk for heart attacks.

Cholesterol reduction means a healthy lifestyle

If you are currently on cholesterol-lowering medications, don’t stop or reduce your dosage unless told to by your doctor. Quitting cholesterol-lowering medications cold turkey can have serious health consequences. Instead, inform your doctor about your plans to lower your cholesterol levels naturally. Your doctor is going to want to monitor your progress. Your doctor will tell you when, and by how much, to reduce your medications.

Put all the recommendations in this article together, and you get a healthy lifestyle. Eat the right foods, drink the right beverages, get plenty of exercises, and don’t smoke. All these things together can have a significant impact on your cholesterol levels. Put these simple recommendations into practice, and you’re well on your way to a healthy new you!

Got high cholesterol? Call us at 877-959-7977 and ask about our special medical discounts. You want better health, and Life Ionizers wants to help!

References

Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of

electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.

Gumashta, J, R Gumashta, and et al. “Hard water and heart: the story revisited.” IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences, n.d. Web. 5 Jul 2013. <http://iosrjournals.org/iosr-jpbs/papers/vol1-issue1/B0110720.pdf>.

N.A “11 Foods that lower cholesterol” Harvard Health Publications. Harvard Medical School. 11 August 2015. Web 2 August 2017

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/11-foods-that-lower-cholesterol

McDermott Annette, and Jewell, Tim. “Can herbal teas lower my cholesterol?” healthline. 18 May 2016. Web. 2 August 2017. http://www.healthline.com/health/high-cholesterol/herbal-tea

Hope, Toni G. “How to cut high cholesterol and heart attack risk with exercise” everyday Health. n.d. 28 July, 2016. Web 2 August 2017 https://www.everydayhealth.com/high-cholesterol/treatment/fitness-and-cholesterol/