Foods High in Cholesterol – Many medical professionals will tell you that shellfish are definitely on the NO list for anyone who has raised blood cholesterol levels. But the debt goes on as to whether it is the cholesterol in the foods that we eat or just our total fat that does the harm.
Doctors do agree however that increasing your HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol can be beneficial in reducing your chances of being a stroke victim or having heart failure.
Researchers for the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky found that LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol can be reduced by up to twenty percent just by eating a cup full of cooked beans every day. Lentils, chickpeas, and even baked beans all help to boost your HDL cholesterol levels.
One Israeli team found that people who ate avocados every day for twelve weeks made big reductions in their LDL cholesterol levels. It is assumed that the high levels of mono-saturated fats in Avocados were the reason for the success.
For people are known to have high levels of LDL cholesterol in their blood, possibly the best addition to their diet would be oats. Oats contain a fiber called beta-glucans and this sticks to the walls of your intestines and so blocks the LDL cholesterol from absorbing into the bloodstream. It can also boost HDL levels.
The Omega 3 fatty acids found in oily fish have the effect of boosting HDL levels. The most common fish with these benefits are Herrings, Mackerel, Trout, and Salmon.
New research by the University of California has shown that LDL cholesterol can be stopped from oxidizing by using Olive oil in your diet. The Olive oil prevails the bad cholesterol from sticking to the artery walls.
Anti-social as some people may think, eating raw garlic and raw expressions are proven to reduce bad cholesterol and improve good cholesterol. A study in Seattle at the Bastyr College provided that eating garlic every day, 3 cloves, found good cholesterol up by 23% and bad cholesterol down by 7%. Harvard Medical School found similar results with eating half of an onion a day. They found that good cholesterol levels had increased by up to 30%. In both studies, they found that cooking both appearances and garlic dramatically reduced their powers.
Both Green and Black teas, with or without caffeine can also improve your cholesterol levels. Flavonoids, a type of antioxidant is proved to help the body to control cholesterol with just two or three cups of it a day.
Another good source of antioxidants is red wine. this works in a similar way to Olive oil as in it stops the bad cholesterol from oxidizing and sticking to the artery walls. Excess alcohol, however, can increase blood pressure and may also lead to liver problems.
A new study in America has added new thinking to the Shellfish debate. They maintain that shellfish, especially Mussels, Clams, and Oysters actually boost levels of good HDL cholesterol.
So the debate continues about Foods High in Cholesterol.
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Source by Sophie Stanton