5 Most Effective Cholesterol-Lowering Foods

Nowadays everyone is health conscious. People take lot of care
in maintaining a good health profile. There are several foods
that can help in reducing cholesterol and improve the health of
the heart. The below mentioned five are the most note worthy.

• Barley: This is a tasty and chewy whole grain which contains
lot of fiber that is soluble. This soluble fiber helps in
reducing the LDL cholesterol by forming a coating on the walls
of the intestine by which the cholesterol do not penetrate into
the blood stream. Barley also helps in stabilizing the blood
glucose levels. This will be of benefit to the diabetics who
have a greater risk of getting heart disease as compared to the
general population.

• Garlic: This is a delicious root which not only enhances the
flavor and aroma of the food but also takes care of our hearts
as well. There is a compound called Allicin in the garlic which
is responsible for all the health improvements. This compound
has many healing properties which help in reducing cholesterol
and blood pressure. Allicin is better activated when it gets
exposed to air. Hence, it is better to crush the garlic pods or
mince them on the slicing board and leave it for a few minutes
before cooking. Make it a habit to eat raw garlic or a half
cooked one. Do not cook the garlic for too long or at too high
heat because by doing so all the health promoting compounds will
get destroyed.

• Blueberries: The delicious blueberries contain antioxidants
and huge amount of soluble fiber which are very essential for a
healthy heart. Many preliminary researches have shown that the
blue fruit is good enough to prevent brain strokes and reduce
the oxidative stress level in the blood vessels pertaining to
the heart. They also prevent the coating of cholesterol along
the walls of the artery. You can eat the blue fruit with
yoghurt, or add to the cereals or even you can simply enjoy them
as it is.

• Asian Mushrooms: Earlier people in the United States
considered mushrooms as a worthless nutrition. But the research
carried out indicated that this fruit from a fungus is tasty and
wonderful. It is very beneficial to our health. One of the
prominently studied mushroom varieties is Shiitake mushroom. It
provides benefits such as virus inhibiting effects, anti tumor
and lowering cholesterol. These Shiitake mushrooms contain a
property for lowering cholesterol. This property is derived from
a compound that prevents cholesterol from entering and being
absorbed in the blood stream.

• Flaxseeds: The seeds have alpha linolenic acid in high
content. This is an omega-3-fatty acid that is derived from the
plants. Many researches and studies have proved that flaxseeds
are very useful in reducing bad cholesterol or the LDL
cholesterol. These seeds also help in reducing blood pressure
and triglycerides. But the oil in the seeds can make it go stale
very quickly. You can retain the freshness if you can store
whole flaxseeds in the refrigerator. You can grind only the
quantity that will be sufficient for a week. You can use the
coffee grinder to grind the seeds.

Source: http://www.isnare.com