Diet For Reducing Cholesterol And Triglycerides

What Is Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic condition.

It presents itself by rising LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and normal triglyceride levels. It is a hereditary defect in the bodys ability to recycle LDL cholesterol.

Familial hypercholesterolemia raises the chance of cardiovascular disease. Subsequently, the symptoms appear earlier in life.

LDL levels will rise if a person cannot clear LDL and/or has a reduced ability to do so.

Familial hypercholesterolemia is inheritable from either one or both parents . People with this condition can have elevated LDL levels despite following a healthy lifestyle and nutrition plan.

In people with FH, cholesterol deposits exist in the Achilles tendons and tendons of the hands and elbows. Cholesterol deposits can also form in other body areas, such as a white ring around the eyes. This is called corneal arcus.

Only diet and exercise arent enough to treat familial hypercholesterolemia.

Physicians usually prescribe a statin pill. But, in some cases, other cholesterol-lowering medications, such as ezetimibe, are also essential.

LDL apheresis is a treatment used to treat people who have high LDL cholesterol. PCSK9 inhibitors, which are injectable drugs, can also help to decrease cholesterol levels. These drugs target and prevent a protein that frees up more receptors on liver cells. It allows LDL cholesterol to eradicate from the blood.

You May Like: Do Egg Whites Contain Cholesterol

Vegetarian Or Vegan Diet

These plant-based diets could do a lot for your cholesterol, if you choose your foods wisely.

Vegetarians dont eat any meat. Vegans dont eat any animal products, including meat, eggs, dairy, or even honey.

Studies suggest vegetarians are less likely to get heart disease and high blood pressure. Thats because a diet with low or no animal products tends to be lower in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

But if youre going vegetarian or vegan, youll still need to check food labels and keep sweets and fatty foods to a minimum.

You may also want to check with a dietitian that youre getting enough protein and essential nutrients like iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, and zinc.

Foods Especially Rich In Soluble Fiber Are:

Beans are stars in this meal plan for lowering cholesterol. And with the huge variety of beans now available, from fancy heirloom combinations to good old pintos, youll never get board.

• Beans such as lentils, peas, kidney beans, lima beans, black beans, red beans, pinto beans, and so on

• Processed meats such as hot dogs, bacon, and bologna
• Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils
• Cholesterol-rich foods like egg yolks.

Have you recently heard in the news that egg yolks are okay? Dont believe it, cautions Kimberly Gomer, Director of Nutrition and Educator at Pritikin. Egg yolks are not okay, as this review by faculty at Pritikin elucidates.

You May Like: Does Feta Cheese Affect Cholesterol

Nuts Especially Almonds And Walnuts

Nuts are another exceptionally nutrient-dense food.

Theyre very high in monounsaturated fats. Walnuts are also rich in the plant variety of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat associated with heart health .

Almonds and other nuts are particularly rich in L-arginine, an amino acid that helps your body make nitric oxide. This, in turn, helps regulate blood pressure .

Whats more, nuts provide phytosterols. These plant compounds are structurally similar to cholesterol and help lower cholesterol by blocking its absorption in your intestines.

Calcium, magnesium and potassium, also found in nuts, may reduce blood pressure and lower your risk of heart disease.

In an analysis of 25 studies, eating 23 servings of nuts per day decreased bad LDL cholesterol by an average of 10.2 mg/dl .

Eating a daily serving of nuts is linked to a 28% lower risk of both fatal and nonfatal heart disease .

Summary

Fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel, are excellent sources of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3s bolster heart health by increasing good HDL cholesterol and lowering inflammation and stroke risk.

In one large, 25-year study in adults, those who ate the most non-fried fish were the least likely to develop metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that includes high blood pressure and low good HDL levels .

In another large study in older adults, those who ate tuna or other baked or broiled fish at least once a week had a 27% lower risk of stroke .

Limit Your Alcohol Intake

Alcohol can increase your levels of triglycerides. Along with LDL cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides raise your risk of heart disease.

Excess alcohol consumption also increases blood pressure and can lead to obesity both additional risk factors for heart disease.

To reduce the risk of heart disease and other risks from alcohol, limit your intake to no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 drinks per day.

You May Like: Oyster High In Cholesterol

Don’t Miss: Is Bone Marrow Bad For Cholesterol

How Can I Lower My Triglycerides Quickly

Dietary and lifestyle changes may help you lower your triglycerides within a few months. The first step, though, involves finding out why your triglycerides are high. Hypertriglyceridemia has many causes. These include:

• Dietary factors.
• Medical conditions.
• Some medications.

If you just learned your triglycerides are high, the first thing you should do is talk with your healthcare provider. Your provider will ask you some questions and review your medical history to see what might be causing the spike in your triglyceride level.

Your provider will then help you come up with a plan for getting your triglycerides back to a healthy level. This plan may involve medication to lower your triglycerides, especially if your numbers are very high. Or, you may need treatment for an underlying condition.

Your provider will also help you with dietary and lifestyle changes. Its always best to follow the individual plan your provider gives you. But here are some general guidelines that research shows can help you lower your triglycerides.

Dietary changes to help lower your triglycerides

There are four main dietary culprits that raise your triglycerides:

Product labels or packaging will also tell you if an item is fat-free. Its important to reduce your fat intake. But be aware that desserts labeled fat-free usually contain more sugar than full-fat versions and just as many calories. Limit these desserts or find healthier options like fresh fruit or sugar-free popsicles.

Is Dietary Cholesterol Linked To Cancer

There is a strong association between animal protein intake and colon cancer mortality.

Dietary cholesterol is considered a co-carcinogenic for human colon cancer. When rats in labs are injected with carcinogens, the cholesterol-eating rats developed tumours in half the time VS those not given added cholesterol. Yet, the applicability of animal studies to human situations is questionable.

However, we dont need to consume any cholesterol as our bodies produce it in plenty. Even if we do, the quantity of cholesterol our bodies can absorb is within a limit.

As a result, the cells that line our colon are exposed to faecal cholesterol. That is the area where colon cancer develops. The amount of cholesterol we consume can influence the rate at which a tumour develops or spreads.

A substantial nationwide population case study investigated the association between cholesterol intake and various forms of cancer. There were findings of dietary cholesterol intake linkage to an elevated risk of malignancies. It means that a low-cholesterol diet may help in the prevention of certain cancers.

The study findings can thus be evidence that a diet high in meat, dairy products, and eggs is an adverse predictor of common cancers.

When tested for endometrial cancer, the risk is quadrupled. It means even just one daily omelette might increase cancer risk by about 20%.

If you have a genetic deposition for cancer already, then diatery cholesterol might not do you any good.

Also Check: Are Walnuts High In Cholesterol

How Is Cholesterol Measured

Most people with high cholesterol feel perfectly well and often have no symptoms.

Visit your GP to find out your cholesterol level and to find out what you need to do if your levels of bad cholesterol are high.

For people aged 45 years and over, you can have your cholesterol checked as part of a Heart Health Check with your GP.

If you identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, you should have your cholesterol checked from age 18 years.

The Best Meals To Lower Your Triglyceride Levels

Triglycerides are fatty substances in your blood similar to cholesterol that, in high levels, can put you at greater risk for high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. Luckily, your diet can help: Creating a meal plan to lower your numbers can support overall health and prevent disease.

Video of the Day

Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in your body and come from fatty foods like butter and oils, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine . Eating too many calories or too much sugar, smoking, drinking and certain conditions like thyroid disease can all elevate your levels.

The best way to balance your triglycerides is by limiting processed foods, saturated fats and alcohol, per the NLM. Regular exercise and quitting smoking can also help.

Heres a meal plan to help you lower your triglycerides.

• âHealthy triglycerides:â Less than 150 mg/dL
• ââHigh triglycerides:â 200 mg/dL and above

Recommended Reading: Does Drinking Water Lower Cholesterol

You May Like: Does Vegan Diet Reduce Cholesterol

Diet Plan To Lower Cholesterol And Lose Weight

Improve your cholesterol levels, and much more… Lose weight. Lower your blood pressure. Reduce blood sugar.

You get it all with this meal plan to lower cholesterol, created by the dietitiansand physicians at the renowned Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami. Plus, you’ll enjoy all kinds of filling, delicious foods. Get started now!

Consistently, research has found that a meal plan full of soluble-fiber-rich foods was incredibly successful in lowering cholesterol as effective, in fact, as statins.

Sure, drugs like statins can reduce cholesterol. But following a heart-healthy diet like the Pritikin Eating Plan, or adding Pritikin to statin meds, may lower your cholesterol even more. Down shoots LDL cholesterol as well as all forms of bad cholesterol, known as non-HDL.

How Quickly Can I Lower My Cholesterol

Your cholesterol levels may lower as quickly as a few weeks to a few months, depending on your treatment plan.

If your levels are very high, your healthcare provider may recommend taking medications at the start of your treatment plan. This may help lower your cholesterol levels more quickly. The sooner you can lower your bad cholesterol levels, the sooner you can lower your risk for plaques to form.

You can also lower your cholesterol through lifestyle and diet changes alone, but it may take three to six months to see results. Talk with your healthcare provider to figure out the best treatment plan for you.

Also Check: Will Eating 2 Eggs A Day Raise My Cholesterol

Cholesterol And Healthy Eating

What we eat has an impact on our cholesterol levels and can help reduce our risk of disease. The Heart Foundation recommends following a heart-healthy eating pattern, which means eating a wide variety of fresh and unprocessed foods and limiting highly processed foods including take away, baked goods, chocolate, chips, lollies and sugary drinks. Not only does this help to maintain a healthy and interesting diet, but it provides essential nutrients to the body.

A heart-healthy eating pattern includes:

• plenty of vegetables, fruit and wholegrains
• a variety of healthy protein-rich foods , legumes , nuts and seeds. Smaller amounts of eggs and lean poultry can also be included in a heart-healthy eating pattern. If choosing red meat, make sure it is lean and limit to one to three times a week
• unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese. People with high cholesterol should choose reduced fat varieties
• healthy fats and oils. Choose nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and their oils for cooking
• herbs and spices to flavour foods, instead of adding salt.

This way of eating is also naturally high in fibre, which is good news, because a high intake of dietary fibre can also reduce levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.

Also, be mindful of how much you are eating. Portion sizes have increased over time and many of us are eating more than we need which can increase our cholesterol and risk of heart disease.

Serving size can vary depending on age, gender and specific nutrition needs.

Use Liquid Vegetable Oils In Place Of Solid Fats

Liquid vegetable oils such as canola, safflower, sunflower, soybean and olive oil can often be used instead of solid fats, such as butter, lard or shortening. If you must use margarine, try the soft or liquid kind.

Use a little liquid oil to:

• Pan-fry fish and poultry.
• Make cream sauces and soups using low-fat or fat-free milk.
• Add to whipped or scalloped potatoes using low-fat or fat-free milk.
• Brown rice for Spanish, curried or stir-fried rice.
• Cook dehydrated potatoes and other prepared foods that call for fat to be added.
• Make pancakes or waffles.

Recommended Reading: How Much Niacin For Cholesterol Reduction

Why Do Triglycerides Matter

High triglycerides harden the arteries or thicken the artery walls. The condition is called arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and other heart diseases. Additionally, high triglycerides may cause acute inflammation of the pancreas .

High triglycerides can also be a sign of the following:

• Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
• Metabolic syndrome: A combination of high blood pressure, obesity and high blood sugar. These conditions occur together, thus increasing your risk of heart disease.
• Reduced production of thyroid hormones
• Certain rare genetic conditions affect how your body while converting fat to energy.

Sometimes high triglycerides also result from side effects of taking certain medications. Medications like:

• Some HIV medications

/8what Should You Do To Reduce Your Cholesterol Level

To bring your cholesterol level back to normal you must include healthy and nutritious food in your diet. Healthy fat, protein and minerals reduce the level of bad cholesterol and improve your overall health. Mrs Anuja Gaur, Consultant Dietitian, Aakash Healthcare, Dwarka recommends patients suffering from high cholesterol have more high-fiber foods and complex carbohydrates such as oats, whole wheat, millets. Along with that, include more seasonal and leafy greens in your diet, she says. Seasonal veggies should be a part of all the meals and leafy greens veggies should be taken 4-6 times a week, she recommends. Seasonal fruit should also be included in your diet, especially citric fruit. A handful of almonds and walnuts in a day can make a good snack option between meals. For cooking your meal use less oil and stick to low-fat dairy products.

Also Check: What Foods Are Not Good For High Cholesterol

Read Also: How To Lower Down Triglycerides

Weight Loss Can Lower Triglycerides And Ldl Cholesterol

It doesnât take dramatic weight loss to lower LDL and triglyceride levels. Just 5 to 10 pounds can make a difference, says Jerry Blaine, M.D., who specialized in cholesterol management, lipid disorders, hypertension, and preventive medicine, including at the Lipid Clinic at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, before retiring in 2013.

The same applies to triglycerides. The more calories you eat and donât burn off, the more you store, which can lead to higher-than-normal triglyceride levels.

Additionally, there are other trim-down steps you can take to lower your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides:

â Set a goal to lose 5-10 percent of your total body weight. For example, a 200-pound adult would aim to lose 10-20 pounds. Once the weight is off, keep up your healthy lifestyle to maintain your new weight.

â Cut 200-500 calories a day from the number of calories it takes to maintain your weight. Reducing caloric intake will lower both LDL and triglycerides.

Low Cholesterol Diet Plan For Beginners

In this 7-day plan for beginners, we map out a week of healthy meals and snacks that will help lower your cholesterol. To keep it simple, we meal-prep breakfast and lunch so you can grab-and-go plus we focus on simple recipes without lengthy ingredient lists. Bonusyou’ll see several one-pot and sheet-pan dinners which means less time spent on cleanup. To help lower cholesterol, we include plenty of fiberan important nutrient for both gut and heart healthby focusing on fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes while limiting cholesterol-raising saturated fat and simple carbohydrates.

See More:High Cholesterol Diet Guidelines

Read Also: Is White Rice High In Cholesterol

Hyperlipidemia High Cholesterol High Triglycerides How To Treat

The treatment of hyperlipidemia, high cholesterol, and high triglyceride is mainly divided into two parts: drug treatment and adjustment of daily eating habits.

If the necessity of medication is not reached, most doctors will generally recommend starting with non-medication.

Improve by adjusting the patients life and eating habits. If the blood lipids do not return to normal after 3-6 months, medical treatment should be performed.

The general treatment drugs are Statins, cholic acid-binding resin, nicotinic acid, and fibrate derivatives four kinds, to achieve control to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease caused by arteriosclerosis.

The treatment of drugs still needs to be discussed with the doctor, so in the next paragraph, I will mainly focus on the second focus of treatment, which is also the root of the daily diet and life maintenance.

Note. Taking the relevant therapeutic drugs requires taking the medicine according to the instructions of the doctor. All kinds of drugs have side effects.

You should discuss with the doctor and design a prescription label according to your own situation. Do not judge the consumption by yourself.

How Are Triglycerides Different From Cholesterol

Both cholesterol and triglycerides perform different functions in our bodies. But, both are important markers for health. As such, we should always keep both within the recommended ranges.

• Triglycerides: As already mentioned, these are a type of fat or lipid in the blood. The American Heart Association considers triglycerides one of the most common types of body fat. They store excess energy from the food a person eats.
• Cholesterol: Cholesterol is a waxy substance known as a lipoprotein. The liver handles the production of cholesterol. Cholesterol has different body functions, including food digestion, hormone production, and vitamin D generation.

Read Also: Does Almond Milk Increase Cholesterol