Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Cholesterol is a fatty compound produced by various cells in the body. Launching from the official website of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), a quarter of the cholesterol produced in the body is produced by liver cells.
When cholesterol levels are high, fatty deposits expand in blood vessels, making blood circulation difficult. These conditions can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and worsen blood circulation.
Reporting from CNBC Make It, Tuesday (6/12/2022), cardiologist Dr. Elizabeth Claude said medications aren’t the only solution to dealing with cholesterol. This is because the drugs can cause many side effects to the body.
Instead, cholesterol sufferers are advised to adjust their diet so that cholesterol levels remain normal.
Here are five foods recommended by Dr. Claude to lower cholesterol levels and maintain heart health.
1. Oatmeal
Oats are a food that contains a lot of fiber, including soluble fiber that can reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive system. In general, fiber can also help prevent insulin spikes that can raise bad cholesterol levels.
Claude said most people don’t get enough fiber. According to one study, increasing your fiber intake to 10 grams per day can reduce your risk of heart attack by 14% and death from heart disease by 27%.
2. Almond
A 2018 study found that almonds can lower LDL cholesterol. Additionally, almonds may also maintain or even increase HDL cholesterol, or good cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is known to play a role in helping to remove other forms of cholesterol from a person’s bloodstream.
If you don’t like almonds, other options that have been shown to raise cholesterol levels are hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, walnuts and pistachios.
3.Biji Chia
Chia seeds contain many essential omega-3 fatty acids. Even if you consume just one gram of this healthy fat per day, Claude said it can still reduce your cardiovascular risk by up to 16%.
Although they have a relatively small effect on LDL, omega-3 fatty acids can help raise good cholesterol and help lower triglycerides, which are fats found in the blood.
4. Broccoli
A study shows that consuming vegetables can reduce the risk of heart disease, especially broccoli which is rich in soluble fiber. Claude said soluble fiber is good for high cholesterol.
Besides broccoli, other vegetables that can lower cholesterol levels are spinach, kale and kale. In addition to being able to provide many vitamins and antioxidants, eating vegetables regularly has been shown to help lower cholesterol.
5. Watermelon
The founder of Step One Foods said that watermelon can be a substitute for sweet snacks for those with high cholesterol levels. The lycopene content contained in watermelon has lipid-lowering properties, reduces total and LDL cholesterol.
If you don’t like watermelon, people with cholesterol can choose apples, grapes, strawberries, oranges, or avocados as a substitute. This is because these fruits are rich in pectin, or soluble fiber, capable of lowering LDL cholesterol.
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