Cholesterol: Mediterranean diet helps reduce LDL and promotes production of HDL
Your cholesterol can be reduced and the number of lipids floating through your system can be improved by changing the foods you eat. The best strategy to attain a low cholesterol diet is to include foods that reduce LDL, the dangerous cholesterol-carrying particle that contributes to artery-clogging atherosclerosis.
Various foods can decrease cholesterol in different ways. Some foods contain soluble fibre, which binds to cholesterol and helps send it to the digestive tract and pushes them outside the body before they circulate. You can get polyunsaturated fats from some foods, and this directly lowers LDL. Furthermore, some of them contain stanols and plant sterols, which prevent the body from absorbing lipids that increase LDL.
Eating foods that lower cholesterol and avoiding foods that worsen LDL can be a confusing list to compile. However, certain diet plans can pose helpful in reducing cholesterol and are much easier to plan out and remember. In this article, we list the best diet plans that help lower our cholesterol.
Here are healthy diet plans that also help lower cholesterol:
1. DASH Diet
The DASH diet stands for Dietary Approached to Stop Hypertension. Hence, it is a given that this diet is encouraged for anyone that wants to improve their heart health. You are expected to consume meals that are high in fibre and other nutrients, such as grains, fruits, and vegetables. Lean proteins are also available in the form of fish, legumes, and low-fat milk products. Red meat, added sugar, sweeteners, and sodium will all be drastically reduced.
2. Mediterranean Diet
If you're aiming to lower your cholesterol, the Mediterranean diet is an excellent alternative. It places a strong emphasis on plant-based proteins such as beans, nuts, and lentils, as well as whole grains, fish, fruits, and vegetables. This diet is also naturally high in fibre, which can decrease cholesterol. The diet is also low in refined grains, sugar, and saturated fat, all of which can increase cholesterol.
3. Vegetarian Diet
A vegetarian diet is one of the most commonly consumed diets in India and other parts of southern Asia. As you may already know, this diet focuses on consuming plant-based foods and dairy products. Although, full-fat, unhealthy, and ultra-processed dairy products might be consumed. It is ideal to understand which packed foods should be avoided if you want to lower LDL.
4. Vegan Diet
Veganism has gained a lot of popularity in the last decade. A vegan diet consists of consuming plant-based foods only. This ensures you avoid various ultra-processed dairy and meat foods that might have components that worsen LDL levels.
5. Flexitarian Diet
The Flexitarian diet might sound self-explanatory. A Flexitarian diet refers to a flexible diet. This diet focuses on consuming a primarily vegetarian diet. However, occasionally one might consume particular portions of meat. This diet helps ensure you consume an LDL-reducing and HDL-boosting diet. While also occasionally consuming protein-rich and other nutrient-rich meats.
6. TLC Diet
The TLC diet stands for Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet. Similar to the DASH diet, the TLC diet was designed to improve our overall heart health. To help prevent heart disease, it combines elements of diet, fitness, and weight management. The TLC diet, in contrast to other diet plans, is meant to be practised as a long-term solution and is more of a lifestyle change than a trending diet.
In conclusion, certain diets focus particularly on improving our heart health and provide various benefits. Diet plans are also easier to follow through and some of these can work great as long-term solutions to high cholesterol.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.