Heart health These foods permanently reduce cholesterol levels

Metastudie confirms the effectiveness of cholesterol-lowering foods

Cholesterol is an important component of the cells and fulfills various protective functions in the body. In addition, the fat-like substance makes the cell envelope flexible and supple and is involved in fat digestion, hormone production and in the production of vitamin D. If certain values ​​in cholesterol (LDL) are permanently too high, this can lead to dangerous vascular diseases. Certain foods can positively affect cholesterol levels. This has also been confirmed by Canadian nutritionists who recently examined seven studies on this topic.

The so-called portfolio diet is a nutritional concept that has been developed to reduce harmful levels of LDL cholesterol. The nutritional plan has already been presented by Harvard University in a 2011 study. Now, a Canadian research team led by Laura Chiavaroli of the University of Toronto reviewed the concept's outcomes in a comprehensive meta-analysis of seven studies. The results were recently published in the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Disease.

Nuts and legumes, but also fiber and certain plant seeds are best suited to reduce the harmful LDL content of cholesterol. (Image: colnihko / fotolia.com)

The harmful LDL cholesterol

In order to transport cholesterol in the body, this is bound to certain proteins. The so-called low-density lipoprotein (LDL) supplies the cells with necessary fats. If too much LDL is present, fat molecules can accumulate on the vessel walls, which has a negative effect on blood flow. When talking about high cholesterol levels, it means primarily harmful LDL cholesterol. The higher the LDL content in cholesterol, the greater the risk of arteriosclerosis, the so-called arteriosclerosis. What begins as a circulatory disorder may over time develop into peripheral arterial disease (PAD), stroke or heart disease such as coronary heart disease (CHD) or even heart attack.

Unique results

In summary, the analysis of the controlled trials showed that the portfolio diet leads to clinically significant reductions in bad LDL cholesterol if the diet is consistently followed. On average, the harmful levels dropped by 17 percent and thus the risk of developing coronary heart disease decreased by 13 percent.

Which foods are part of the portfolio nutritional formula

In the portfolio nutritional pattern, foods from four different core groups are on the menu every day. These solid ingredients should be incorporated in the daily diet:

• 42 grams of nuts (tree nuts or peanuts)
• 50 grams of vegetable protein from soy products or legumes such as beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils
• 20 grams of fiber from oats, barley, psyllium, eggplant, okra, apples, oranges or berries
• 2 grams of phytosterols (phytosterols), for example, contained in sunflower seeds, wheat germs, sesame seeds, soybeans, pumpkin seeds but also in fortified margarine.

Many ingredients have already shown their health benefits

The ingredients of this diet have already shown their health benefits in other recent studies. For example, nuts have been shown to be effective against colorectal cancer and heart disease. When you lose weight, psyllium husks, fiber-rich nutrition relieves chronic inflammatory joint diseases and plant proteins from nuts and seeds reduce the risk of heart disease. For more information read cholesterol lowering - the best tips and home remedies. (Vb)