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holesterol
is an essential building block for cells, and the body makes as much of it as
it needs on its own.
A diet that that causes the body to produce too much
"bad" LDL cholesterol can cause plaques to form
in the arteries, leading to coronary heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute,
the ideal amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood is 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or lower.
If a person's LDL level is greater than this, they might
consider trying a cholesterol-lowering diet. This is especially the case if the
person is at high risk for heart disease due
to obesity, diabetes,
or other lifestyle or hereditary factors.
Although it seems counter-intuitive, it is not the
cholesterol found in foods that relates to a person's blood cholesterol level.
It is the saturated and trans fats that need to be reduced.
Common diet themes
There are many diets available that claim to lower LDL
levels. However, the nutritional plans that work best share the same important
elements:
·
they cut saturated and trans fat
intake
·
they replace foods high in
cholesterol and saturated fats with unsaturated fats, fruits, vegetables,
legumes, and wholegrains
·
they keep serving size in check to
assure a healthy daily calorie intake
Three cholesterol-cutting diets that follow these guidelines
are vegan diets, Mediterranean diets, and the National Institute of Health's
TLC diet.
Vegan diet
A vegan diet excludes all animal-based foods and is a true cholesterol-free diet.
A vegan diet prohibits eating animal-based foods, including
fish, meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy. Only animal-based foods contain cholesterol.
For this reason, veganism is the only truly cholesterol-free diet.
While cholesterol intake does not affect LDL levels as much
as saturated fat intake does, many foods that have high cholesterol content
also contain a lot of saturated fat. By replacing animal-based foods with
plant-based foods, people can avoid both of these LDL-raising factors at once.
However, cutting cholesterol and saturated fat intake is not
the only way a vegan diet can reduce LDL levels. To make this diet especially
effective, it is important that people include nutrients that actively remove
LDL cholesterol from the body.
The most important of these nutrients are:
·
Polyunsaturated
fats. These stimulate the liver to
dispose of LDL cholesterol. They can be found in natural vegetable oils, such
as canola, sunflower, and safflower oils.
·
Soluble
fibers. These dissolve into a gel in the
intestines. The gel binds to cholesterol and fats and carries them off to be
removed from the body before they can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Soluble
fiber is found in oat-based cereals, whole grains, barley, beans, chia seeds,
and eggplant. Apples, grapes, strawberries, and citrus fruits are also rich in
a kind of soluble fiber called pectin.
·
Stanols
and sterols. These also block cholesterol from being
absorbed into the bloodstream. They can be extracted from certain plants, and
are often used to fortify juices and nutrition bars. They
can also be taken in supplement form.
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, eating 5 to 10 grams
(g) of soluble fiber each day can lead to a 5 percent decrease in LDL
cholesterol. Within weeks, a daily intake of about 2 g of either stanols or
sterols can reduce LDL by about 5 to 15 percent.
Even a vegan diet fortified with these substances can have
shortfalls, though. According to a literature
review, cutting all animal products from the diet increases risk
for vitamin D, vitamin B-12, and
zinc deficiency.
Avoiding fish, eggs, and seaweed also deprives one of
omega-3s, which are especially heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats. To reduce
these risks, it is recommended that people on a vegan diet include:
·
vitamin B-12 fortified foods, such
as soy and rice beverages and nutritional yeast - leafy vegetables cannot
provide enough B-12 on their own
·
vitamin D fortified foods,
especially during the winter months
·
plant foods rich in omega-3s, such
as ground flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil, soy products, and hemp-seed based
beverages
·
foods rich in zinc, such as whole
grains, legumes, soy products, and fortified snacks
As veganism has become more popular, many resources have
become available to help develop tasty meals that fit an individual's dietary
needs. A recent article in Good Housekeeping suggests a variety of creative vegan
recipes.
The Vegetarian Resource Group also offer a wealth of vegan
meal ideas on their website, as well as a directory of vegan and
vegetarian-friendly restaurants.
Mediterranean diet
Alongside olive oil and fish, the Mediterranean diet consists of fruits, vegetables, starches, nuts, seeds, eggs, and wine.
If giving up animal-based foods is too difficult, following
a Mediterranean diet may
be a better option. While the Mediterranean diet does not allow much red meat,
dairy products, poultry, and fish are acceptable in low to moderate amounts.
The American Heart Association (AHA) explain that while there
are many different versions of the Mediterranean diet, each relies on the same
basic nutrients:
·
olive oil in place of saturated fats
·
high volume of fruits and vegetables
·
high-fiber starches, such as
potatoes, beans, breads, and whole-grain cereals
·
nuts and seeds
·
fish and poultry
·
eggs, up to four times a week
·
wine, in small to moderate amounts
Fatty-fish focused dishes, such as this recipe for salmon with apricots, yogurt, and pistachio sauce, are rich
in omega-3 fatty
acids. Because vegan diets tend to lack omega-3s, a Mediterranean diet can be
more healthful than a vegan diet in this sense.
However, the Mediterranean diet also has shortfalls of its
own. The biggest concern is calorie intake. Though unsaturated fats and natural
starches are not unhealthful, they contain a lot of calories.
If a person doesn't think about portion size carefully, they
could end up gaining more weight from a Mediterranean diet. As being overweight
and obesity are also risk factors for heart disease, this would defeat the
purpose of lowering one's cholesterol.
The AHA advise that more than half of the fat calories in a
Mediterranean diet should come from monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil.
While these are much more healthful than saturated or trans fats, they have not
been shown to actively signal the liver to cut LDL levels as polyunsaturated
fats can.
The TLC diet
Alongside reducing cholesterol in the diet, the TLC diet pairs dietary adjustments with lifestyle changes.
TLC stands for "Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes,"
and was created by the National Institute of Health in 2005. It is still
considered a very strong low-cholesterol option by health experts.
The diet pairs dietary adjustments with lifestyle changes in
order to lower one's risk of heart disease as much as possible. It has fewer
restrictions than a vegan diet, but it also follows a much more strict,
scientific structure.
According to the TLC handbook, a person should consume the following each day:
·
less than 7 percent of calories from
saturated fat
·
25 to 35 percent of daily calories
from total fat
·
less than 200 mg of cholesterol
·
a low but healthy number of
calories, determined with the help of one's doctor
·
an optional 2 g per day of plant
stanols or sterols
·
an optional 10 to 25 g per day of
soluble fiber
For women, 1,000 to 1,200 daily calories are usually
recommended for weight loss. For men, 1,200 to 1,600 calories are recommended.
This structure is meant to ensure that LDL levels are not
only lowered, but that nutrient intake is well balanced and weight is not
gained in the process.
Recipes, menu plans, and tips to make vegetables tastier can
all be found in the TLC handbook. The AHA also offer an online collection of
heart-healthy recipes that are compatible with the TLC diet.
Health benefits
Regardless of which diet a person chooses, making healthy
nutritional changes can do more than just lower cholesterol. Cutting saturated
fats and increasing the intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fibers
can help promote healthy vision, as well as brain, muscle, bone, and digestive
system health.
Weight loss also relieves stress from the major
organs and arteries and reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
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