The level of cholesterol in the blood can be raised with a diet rich in foods of animal origin such as eggs, meat and dairy products. Plus it may be more common in people with obesity and diabetes.
(MEXICO – TYT).- Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is present in the membranes of cells. It serves to form hormones, metabolize vitamin D and is essential for the absorption of calcium and bile acids. But like everything, excess is bad, and when its levels are high, you have to lower them with the right foods.
According to the Ministry of Health , LDL (low-density lipoprotein), or “bad cholesterol”, as it is commonly called, has the function of transporting cholesterol to the tissues, but when there is an excess, it can accumulate in the walls of the veins and arteries causing them to become clogged.
A high concentration of bad cholesterol in the body has a negative impact on health, as it increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
In Mexico, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), just over a fifth of girls and boys under 5 years of age are at risk of being overweight. In the group of 30 to 59 years, 35% of men and 46% of women suffer from it.
What should I eat to keep cholesterol low?
According to the article “ Love Beans ” published on the Harvard University Health Blog, these foods are key to lowering blood cholesterol levels. In addition to providing other benefits.
Different scientific studies led by Harvard Medical School, as well as other universities, have shown that a diet rich in legumes can help lower the risk of developing obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease or cerebrovascular accidents.
Even according to Monique Tello and Rani Polak, authors of the Harvard article, eating legumes every day can help treat diseases in people who already have them.
The Harvard scholars cite a randomized controlled study in which 100 people with type 2 diabetes ate at least 1 cup of legumes a day for 3 months and experienced decreased weight, waist circumference, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.
Legumes vs medicines
Even, in another study, Harvard specialists comment, people who consumed between 1/2 cup and 2 cups of legumes daily for 3 weeks, observed a drop of 8 points in LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), that is, better results of those that can be achieved with specialized pickups.
These results, according to Harvard experts, are due to the fact that legumes are rich in fiber, specifically soluble viscous fiber, which not only slows absorption in the small intestine, but also creates a barrier of certain molecules that prevent the accumulation of cholesterol.
Some of the dishes that you can eat on a regular basis to keep your cholesterol levels in check, according to Harvard, are lentil soup, hummus (made from chickpeas) or chili (the tex-mex dish) with beans without meat or simply eat different types of vegetables.
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