4 Foods are mandatory to control cholesterol in the blood & bull; hello healthy

Lately, the food we consume tends to be less healthy. The busyness of urban society makes us choose foods that are easy and instant. The nutritional content in food is neglected. Many foods are tantalizing and look good, but they bring health problems later in life, one of which is high fat foods.

Foods with high fat content can be transformed into various forms of food. Call it a variety of fritters, tarts, or barbecue. If we are not smart in choosing a menu, we will face various diseases due to the food we consume.

Why is it important to control cholesterol in the blood?

According to WHO, the top 3 causes of death in the world are non-communicable diseases. This phenomenon shifts infectious diseases that used to be a scourge for the world community. Cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke are still the top ranks of death for most people. In fact, the emergence of these 3 diseases is mostly triggered by changes in unhealthy lifestyles. High levels of carcinogens, high levels of blood sugar and high levels of fat are the direct causes of the symptoms of these three diseases.

Especially for diseases caused by high levels of fat, we can fight it with foods that can control the process of fat formation, so that fat does not become a crust in various organs of the body and cause disease.

As we know, the types of fat are divided into 3, namely good fats (HDL cholesterol), bad fats (LDL cholesterol) and triglycerides, which are types of fat that come from excess blood glucose. To maintain balance, we must increase good fats (HDL) and reduce the amount of bad fats (LDL) as well as triglycerides. There are several foods that can control your fat levels. What are these foods? Let us follow the following explanation.

4 types of food to control cholesterol

1. Phytosterol-rich foods

Phytosterols are sterols that are naturally obtained from various plants. Chemically, the form of phytosterol compounds is similar to cholesterol obtained from animals. The way phytosterols work in the body is by competing with the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine so that it can reduce the total cholesterol concentration. Naturally, many phytosterols are found in vegetable oils. Phytosterols can also be found in walnuts, peas, and fresh fruit, although they are less abundant than vegetable oils. Phytosterols are often used as additives in cooking oil and butter.

A study states that consumption of phytosterols in the diet lowers LDL cholesterol (bad fats) by up to 15%. An intake of 2 grams / day is considered a therapeutic option for lowering LDL cholesterol. However, a higher intake of more than 3 grams per day did not further reduce cholesterol concentrations. To date, several studies are still being developed to prove that there is a reduction in cardiovascular risk after regular consumption of phytosterols. Phytosterols themselves have very little effect on increasing HDL cholesterol and decreasing triglycerides.

2. Foods rich in fiber

Fiber has been proven to maintain a healthy body. A fiber diet can help improve digestion, improve blood glucose levels and body fat profile. Diets of water-soluble fiber such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and cereals have a hypocholesterolemic effect, an effect that can reduce the process of cholesterol formation in the body. A water-soluble fiber diet of 5-10 grams / day can reduce LDL cholesterol by 5%. Experts suggest the amount of water-soluble fiber diet for lowering LDL cholesterol is 5-15 grams / day. Various combinations are more recommended than consuming just one type of fiber.

3. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid omega-3 (PUFA Omega-3)

Polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 is a component found in fish oil or the Mediterranean diet. A study in Japan showed that the intake of omega-3 PUFAs derived from marine products (such as fish oil) of 4 grams a day was reported to have triple effect which is very useful, namely reducing the concentration of triglycerides by 25-30%, reducing the concentration of LDL cholesterol by 5-10%, and increasing the concentration of HDL cholesterol by 1-3%. The reason is that marine products contain a lot of long-chain omega-3 PUFAs such as EPA and DHA.

While Polyunsaturated fatty acids plant-derived omega-3s such as soybeans and walnuts contain only alpha linolenic acid (moderate-chain PUFA) which does not consistently lower triglyceride concentrations. The therapeutic dose needed to lower the triglyceride concentration is> 2 grams / day. A study in Japan reported that EPA therapy was associated with a 19% reduction in cardiovascular events.

4. Soy protein

Soy protein is very familiar to Indonesian people. We usually find this protein in the form of tempeh, tofu and soy milk. Many studies suggest that protein in soy is associated with a 3-5% reduction in LDL cholesterol. A study shows that intake of 25 mg / day is associated with a decrease in LDL cholesterol by 5 mg / dL. Most of the other studies used a soy protein intake of more than 40 mg / day and proven to have a decreased body fat profile.