by Staff at Stephanie Huckabee
Fight the war on high LDL cholesterol levels with these natural foods. Knock down your cholesterol levels naturally. These powerful foods in conjunction with a healthy diet can easily help you win the war against high LDL cholesterol. High HDL cholesterol levels is good, since HDL helps to bring down LDL levels.
*Oats
Highly advertised on television as a powerful cholesterol-lowering agent, the oat is probably the most well-known of these foods. The oats have a deep history in Scotland, where it is the main staple of the Scottish diet. When the Scots settled in Vermont, they brought oats with them. Interestingly enough this background has made Vermont the state that eats the most oats.
The property of oat that helps in the fight against cholesterol is its soluble fiber. Soluble fiber makes it harder for LDL cholesterol to be absorbed in your intestines. Thus there is less externally created cholesterol floating around in your bloodstream. Too much LDL cholesterol can cause some of it to stick and accumulate on your arteries.
Oats are found in a wide variety of foods such as oatmeal cookies, granola bars etc. Oatmeal is the most associated product with oats. If you don’t like oatmeal, many companies are now incorporating oats into cereals and bread. Don’t be afraid to add this powerful food to your arsenal.
*Garlic
This little bulb has been around and used for centuries. The bulb was nailed to doors and hung around necks to ward off vampires and other evil spirits. Some believe that eating the bulb can increase desire or the body’s chi. Garlic is also used heavily in Mediterranean and Chinese cooking, which is probably why you don’t hear much about Chinese vampires.
Of course, the most advertised property of garlic is its cholesterol & blood pressure lowering properties. Garlic is a natural antioxidant. It is thought that it helps prevent the LDLs from building up on the artery walls. Adding garlic as part of a healthy diet can help you lower cholesterol levels as well as help you fight the common cold.
Garlic is available in many forms. You can eat it raw. Although, its resulting odor maybe more than some can handle. In cooking, the potency of the smell and taste of garlic is diluted, resulting in a more palatable concoction for most people. It can also be taken in powder or pill form as part of a supplement. One of the main known active ingredients is Allicen so ensure that processed garlic pills still have this ingredient.
*Onions
It is hard to talk about garlic without mentioning its cousin, the onion. Even more widely used than the garlic, it was heavily consumed in ancient times. One of its most surprising purposes was that the onion was used to pay rent.
The onion is an important source of the nutrient chromium and B6 vitamins. Both nutrients are linked to controlling cholesterol levels and preventing heart disease. On top of its cholesterol lowering properties, the onion has other benefits including reducing the risk of cancer.
Fortunately, there are only two ways to eat an onion, raw or cooked. With such a wide variety of onions available, it should be relatively easy to find a variety that appeases your taste buds. If you don’t like the sharp taste of stronger onions, try one of the sweet varieties or use it as seasoning in your food.
*Virgin Olive Oil
Olive oil is another very powerful tool in the battle against high cholesterol. Produced mainly in Greece, Homer once stated that olive oil was liquid gold. The highly prized oil holds a high place for use in religious ceremonies. Perhaps its strangest use was a mouthwash for bad breath.
Olive oil contains good fat or monounsaturated fat. These fats assist in your efforts to lower your cholesterol. Switching your high bad fats with these good fats is a simple way to keep those bad fats out of your system.
Olive oil can be bought in any supermarket as cooking oil. Companies are adding this cholesterol-lowering oil to salad dressings and in the creation of mayonnaise. Olive oil is also available to take as a supplement in pills.
*Primrose Oil
The primrose is a plant found natively in North and South America. The eye-catching yellow flowers open at night instead of during the day. Once it was known as Kings cureall, for its variety of unsubstantiated healing properties.
Primrose oil contains a high level of essential fatty acids. These fatty acids contribute to lowering your cholesterol levels. On top of this, primrose oil can help treat eczema and even help relieve PMS symptoms.
Primrose oil is available in pill form as a dietary supplement. You can find it in grocery stores and drug stores.
Lowering your cholesterol is up to you. Combined with a healthy diet, these powerful foods will help you conquer those life threatening high ldl levels. You can conquer your high LDL cholesterol with the right food decisions.
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