As per the best nutritionist in Mumbai, cholesterol is a compound present in every cell of the body and has very important functions in digesting food, producing hormones and generating Vitamin D. The 75% of cholesterol gets produced by the liver and 25% comes through diet is waxy in nature.
There are two types of cholesterol:
- LDL: It stands for Low-density lipoproteins cholesterols. It is known as bad cholesterols because it delivers cholesterol into the body
- HDL: Its stands for High-density lipoproteins cholesterols. It’s known as good cholesterols because they removed cholesterol from the body.
As per the best nutritionist in Mumbai, cholesterol levels should be always under control as an increase of the same affects health in many ways. The increase in LDL or total cholesterol leads to forming a wall in the arteries which forms plaque. This plaque blocks the arteries which affects the flow of blood in the body. Due to affected blood flow the blood pressure increases, and the nutrient delivery to different parts of the body gets adhered leading to sweating, increased heart rate, and fatigue.
Different lifestyle disorders can also lead to high cholesterol levels i.e.
- Diabetes
- Hypothyroid
Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Intake of drugs like progestin, anabolic steroids, and corticosteroids
- The normal range for total cholesterol in the body should be less than 200mg/dl, LDL cholesterolshouldbelessthan100mg/dlandtriglyceridesshouldbelessthan150mg/dl. On the other hand HDL cholesterol should be 60mg/dl or more to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Reducing the intake of the following facts can help in maintaining cholesterol levels:
- Saturated Fats: These types of fats are generally found in ghee, butter, red meat, deep-fried, baked foods, and processed foods.
- Trans Fats: These types of fats are generally found in processed foods like bakery products, chips, and pastries.
Other than focusing on other aspects of lifestyle to reduce cholesterol, modification in the regular diet is very important because the body is what it intakes.
- Increased Intake of Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats: It’s often observed that people with high cholesterol are either overweight. When it comes to weight loss, it is believed that cutting fat from the diet is the easiest way. But in a study, we observed that when we cut down the fats LDL cholesterol gets reduced but on another hand, the beneficial HDL cholesterol also gets reduced. It is also observed that some people gain weight with ghee which is a saturated fat while some do not gain weight. Hence, it is important that saturated fats which is leading to weight gain should be removed from the diet and fats which do not increase weight especially the monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats like Canola oil, Extra Virgin Olive oil, Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds and fatty fish like salmon, Rohu (freshwater fish) should be included in the diet.
The best nutritionist in Mumbai states that extra virgin olive oil contains monounsaturated fat which helps in increasing HDL cholesterol and reduces LDL cholesterol. It contains polyphenols which are anti-inflammatory in nature and reduces inflammation which may lead to heart disease.
- Increased Soluble Fibre: Soluble fibre is the type of fibre which gets dissolved with water and helps in the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients and excreting of waste products. In a recent study of 12 weeks, it was observed that people consuming psyllium husk daily in the morning helped them reduce their lipid levels by 10
It was also observed that adults consuming three servings of fruits & vegetables, three servings of cereals especially oats & barley and 2 servings of beans & legumes have a lesser risk of increased cholesterol levels.
- More Greens, Lesser Cholesterol: The dark green leafy vegetables i.e., Spinach, Kale contain Leuteinwhich is a carotenoid. Carotenoids are the antioxidants which help in reducing the free radicals which harden the arteries. The dark green leafy vegetables bind the bile acid in the body and excrete the cholesterols from the body.
- Garlic, the All-Time Ingredient: Garlic is an ingredient that is found in almost all Indian kitchens. Let it be used for food preparation or being used as medicine.
Cholesterol is a compound present in every cell of the body and has very important functions in digesting food, producing hormones and generating Vitamin D. The 75% of cholesterol gets produced by the liver and 25% comes through a diet that is waxy in nature.
- Herbal Tea: Green tea is rich in antioxidants i.e., catechins and is a natural fat burner also due to the presence of its active compound Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG). Catechin helps in activating nitric oxide which maintains blood pressure and inhibits cholesterol synthesis by reducing the blocks formed in arteries.
Another type of tea i.e., Black Tea and White tea contains Quercetin as its active compound which has anti-inflammatory properties and helps in improving blood vessel functions by reducing inflammation in the body states the best sports nutritionist in Hyderabad.
The best nutritionist in Mumbai states that a regular workout for 30 minutes also plays a vital role in reducing cholesterol as it reduces the total fat in the body which can also be a reason for increased cholesterol.
