A good cholesterol level is a health condition

Good cholesterol levels. How does cholesterol affect our health?

Cholesterol determines whether we're healthy or not. An appropriate level of cholesterol is an introduction to the proper work of almost the entire body. So it is worth taking care of it

Cholesterol is an important factor for our body. However, it is probably not so harmful as too much of it.  High cholesterol promotes the occurrence of atherosclerosis and many other diseases, sometimes even fatal.

Effect of diet on cholsterol

There is no doubt that it is she who determines his quantity. A poorly chosen diet can effectively increase its level. As we know, for health only good cholesterol is needed. It is essential to fight the bad one. By choosing the right products and composing the right menu, you can do almost miracles. First of all, therefore, avoid fatty and salty foods. This is the biggest homicide we can do to ourselves. Follow a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. It is also worth eating large quantities of fish, especially marine ones.

What cholesterol standards?

Although there is so much talk about health-related cholesterol levels, few people know what the most appropriate amount of cholesterol is.  This is certainly due to the fact that we rarely really check our cholesterol levels. If its measurement were as common as blood pressure, this knowledge would be much greater. The norm for cholesterol in the body is < 200 mg/dl. Anything above this rule can be an alarm signal. Of course, there is no need to worry when this number is slightly abnormal, but the condition above 250 mg/dl should be worrying.

Cholesterol symptoms 

High cholesterol can be observed even without a thorough examination. Some visible changes can be observed in such people. The most common are light yellow convex spots, which appear particularly in the corners of the eyes, but also on the knees, Achilles tendons and elbows.  The most significant, however, is probably the occurrence of significant overweight.  For this reason, people "at the bone" are recommended to follow a low cholesterol diet.

Dietary fiber for high cholesterol

The action of fiber is extremely important for the proper level of cholesterol, effectively lowers it and is excellent and helpful in the treatment of atherosclerosis and diabetes, such properties are not known to everyone.

Dietary fiber has so far been associated with something else. As it turns out, however, it can be a great source of various compounds responsible for many processes taking place in the body. The most characteristic in this case are pectins, which are responsible for the breakdown of fatty acids, and they largely cause that the amount of cholesterol in the liver decreases. Dietary fiber also affects bile acids, which are much easier to remove from the intestines. This has a direct effect on high cholesterol, because after removing them, the liver significantly reduces the production of factors responsible for the formation of cholesterol.

According to specialists, people suffering from diabetes should eat products rich in fiber, because it helps to maintain insulin. It works in such a way that inhibiting the speed of assimilation of ingredients significantly reduces the secretion of insulin. It also has an impact on the weight of the recipient, which is probably due to the increased sensitivity to insulin. Therefore, people with elevated cholesterol should enrich their diet with dietary fiber preparations. 

However, it should be remembered that its adoption, especially in the form of supplements, should always be consulted with a doctor. Especially when diabetes is quite advanced. Usually, however, a diet rich in this ingredient is strictly required for patients, because in diabetes it is an extremely important part of their daily diet. It should be mentioned that the so-called soluble fibre is responsible for this process. In turn, this insoluble fiber has an impact on the formation of atherosclerosis.

Low cholesterol diet 

The low cholesterol diet is somewhat similar to the easy-to-digest diet with fat restriction. It is mainly used in people with lipid metabolism disorders usually manifested by elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. A feature of this diet is also the relatively high supply of fibre, which aids in the excretion of cholesterol. The presence of the anti-oxidant vitamins A, C and E also plays an important role.

In order to achieve low cholesterol levels, products of animal origin, which are rich sources of this component, are eliminated from the diet. These are mainly: fatty red meats, poultry skin, offal and products containing it, egg yolks, and highly concentrated dairy products such as yellow rennet cheeses. The diet also excludes all added fat of animal origin, i.e. lard, lard, butter and mixtures of butter and margarine, and high-fat cream.

Foods containing low-quality frying or baking margarines and confectionery fat are also excluded from menus, as their high levels of trans-fatty acids tend to raise blood cholesterol levels. It should be noted that many semi-finished products, confectionery and food concentrates such as powdered soups contain high levels of these compounds.

In a low cholesterol diet, the consumption of natural ground, Turkish-brewed or boiled coffee is also limited, as it raises blood cholesterol levels. Soluble coffee or coffee brewed in an espresso machine does not have this effect.

Abnormal lipid metabolism is often accompanied by hypertension, so in a low cholesterol diet, the intake of table salt is also limited by avoiding salty foods and eliminating foods that are abundant sources of salt, such as cold cuts, concentrates, yellow cheeses and tinned foods.

However, it is advisable to eat seafood about three times a week, which is good for lowering cholesterol levels, and to increase the intake of products rich in fibre, such as wholemeal bread, muesli, wholemeal groats, flakes, and all fruit and vegetables. Among dairy products, always choose low-fat products.

Products recommended in the diet: 

Wholemeal bread

Kefir, buttermilk, natural yoghurt

Lean white cheese 

Red rosehip wine 

Sea fish: mackerel, cod, herring, salmon, sprat, sardines (not fried) 

Cold-pressed olive oil, cold-pressed rapeseed oil

Carrots, garlic, onions, beets, cauliflower, tomatoes, pumpkin, spinach, squash, broccoli,  green peas, green beans, chicory, lettuce, potatoes, cabbage

Apples, lemons, grapes, strawberries, watermelons, apricots, kiwi, peaches, oranges, raspberries, currants 

Fruit and vegetable soups without fat 

Green tea

Brown rice and coarse cereals

Natural (puréed) fruit and vegetable juices, fruit drinks

Products allowed in the diet: 

Low-fat milk

Sea food

Bitter chocolate 

Walnuts and hazelnuts 

Light bread

Soybean oil, sunflower oil, vegetable butter

Sugar

Compotes, jellies, mousses, jellies, puddings 

Egg-free pasta 

Lean meat: veal, beef, chicken, turkey in the following forms: stewed, boiled, baked in foil, parchment paper, stews

Products prohibited in the diet: 

- Fatty milk

- Fatty white cheese, yellow cheese, processed cheese 

- Egg yolk

- Offal

- Margarine 

- Goose, duck 

- Freshwater fish

- Fatty meat

- Cream

- Tallow, lard, bacon

- Powdered soups 

- Fast food

- Chips, potato pancakes

- Sweet chocolate, confectionery, chocolates, biscuits, sweets 

- Alcohol, cocoa

- Egg noodles

- Honey, jam, marmalade

- Coloured drinks, fizzy drinks

- Mayonnaise

- Doughnuts, pastries cooked in fat