What is the best way to lower cholesterol?

Nowadays, more and more people have high cholesterol, which is a sub-healthy state that many people exist in. If we do not control cholesterol in time and let it continue to rise, it will cause big problems for our physical health and may cause our bodies to suffer from more serious diseases. So how do we lower cholesterol? Let’s take a look at the specific methods below.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that actually has some useful properties. For example, it helps your body make necessary hormones and digest fatty foods. Unfortunately, cholesterol can accumulate in your blood vessels due to certain health conditions such as obesity, poor diet, lack of exercise, and aging. Over time, high cholesterol levels can lead to more serious health problems, such as heart disease or heart attack.

Effective Ways to Lower Cholesterol

1. Eat more fish

A study on the effect of omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish such as tuna, mackerel, salmon and sardines) on HDL-C showed that eating fish once a week or even once a day can effectively reduce the intake of saturated fat.

2. Eat more fiber-rich foods

Foods with very high fiber content, such as whole grains and bread, can effectively reduce the LDL-C content in the human body. Nutrition experts point out that in order to achieve the effect of affecting cholesterol content, the fiber in the diet must reach 15 to 30 grams. You can add a plate of blackberries to breakfast, add half a bowl of lentils to lunch, add a plate of whole wheat pasta to dinner, and add 5 dried peaches cut in half as a snack.

3. Take enough vitamin C

Research conducted at Tufts University in Massachusetts shows that the amount of vitamin C in the blood is directly proportional to the amount of HDL-C in the body. Experts suggest that eating 3 to 4 servings of foods rich in vitamin C every day, such as citrus fruits, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, strawberries, papaya and dark green leafy vegetables, can increase the amount of vitamin C in the blood, thereby increasing the amount of HDL-C in the body and ensuring smooth blood vessels. Although antioxidant ingredients such as vitamin C and vitamin E cannot directly reduce cholesterol in the blood, they can help reduce the harm of cholesterol to blood vessels.

4. Eat more soy products

Soy products such as tofu and puffed vegetable protein contain a natural phytochemical called isoflavones. Studies have shown that this chemical helps eliminate artery-damaging LDL-C from the human body.

5. Pay attention to your weight

The more excess weight you have, the more cholesterol your body produces. A 20-year study in the Netherlands concluded that weight is the most important determinant of serum cholesterol. For every 2.2 pounds (about 1 kilogram) of body weight increase, the cholesterol level increases by 2 points. In addition, the famous Framingham Heart Research Center also found that there is a clear correlation between blood cholesterol and body weight.

High cholesterol can cause many uncomfortable symptoms in our body, affect our health, and even affect our normal life and work, so it is very important to lower cholesterol. So we must pay special attention to the points mentioned above. In terms of diet, we should pay attention to eating more soy products and also pay attention to controlling our weight.