Diet for high cholesterol

Cholesterol is one of the useful substances involved in metabolism. Cholesterol enters the body through animal products.

Cholesterol is a lipophilic alcohol involved in the formation of cell membranes, the synthesis of certain hormones and vitamins, and other metabolic processes.

Cholesterol is necessary for the body, but its high content can lead to diseases of the cardiovascular system, especially atherosclerosis.

Cholesterol is transported throughout the body in the bloodstream by carriers: high and low density lipoproteins. Low-density lipoproteins are called "bad" cholesterol, and when they increase in the blood, the risk of cardiovascular pathology increases significantly. Therefore, doctors strongly recommend reducing their level. However, a decrease in high-density lipoproteins increases the risk of heart disease.

The norm of blood cholesterol in healthy people is 5 mol / l and below. Cholesterol intake should not be more than 300 mg per day in healthy people and not more than 200 mg per day in the case of increased cholesterol levels in the blood (hypercholesterolaemia).

General description of the diet

The purpose of the diet for high cholesterol is to reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol, prevent the development of pathology in the cardiovascular system, normalize the function of the kidneys and liver, activate metabolic processes and improve blood circulation.

Nutrition should comply with the principle of mechanical rest, which has a beneficial effect not only on the digestive system, but also on the cardiovascular system.

The High Cholesterol Diet conforms to Treatment Chart #10 and #10C.

The treatment table for high cholesterol includes the restriction of salt and fats (mainly of animal origin).

Table characteristics (per day):

• energy value is 2190 - 2570 kcal;
• proteins - 90 gr. , of which 55 - 60% are of animal origin;
• fats 70 - 80 gr. , of which at least 30 gr. vegetables;
• Carbohydrates no more than 300 gr. for overweight people and 350 gr for people with normal body weight.

Diet Basics

diet

Eat fractionally, 5 times a day. So you can reduce food portions and suppress hunger in between.

temperature

The food temperature is normal, there are no restrictions.

salt

The amount of table salt is limited to 3 - 5 g. Food is prepared unsalted, if necessary salted at the table. Salt causes fluid retention in the body, which puts more strain on the cardiovascular system.

liquid

The use of free fluid up to 1. 5 liters (relief of the cardiovascular and urinary systems).

alcohol

Alcohol should be avoided, especially hard alcohol. However, doctors recommend (in the absence of contraindications) to take 50-70 ml of natural red wine at night, which contains flavonoids with antioxidant properties (therefore, dry red wine protects the walls of blood vessels from the formation of atherosclerotic plaques). There is also a strict smoking ban.

Weight

Obese and overweight people need to normalize their weight. Excess fat in the body is an additional source of "bad" cholesterol, and also complicates the work of the heart and blood vessels.

Foods with a high content of lipotropic substances and vitamins

Fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins C and P, group B, potassium and magnesium salts should be preferred. These vitamins protect the vascular walls due to the antioxidant effect, and potassium and magnesium are involved in the heart rhythm.

fats

Vegetable fats should be replaced as far as possible. Vegetable fats do not contain cholesterol, in addition, they are useful for the walls of blood vessels with a high content of vitamin E (antioxidant).

Foods forbidden in high cholesterol

The list of prohibited foods for high cholesterol includes mainly animal fats - they are the source of "bad" cholesterol.

You should also refuse carbohydrates, which are easily digested and turn into fats, and therefore cholesterol.

You should not eat foods that activate and stimulate the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Food should be steamed, boiled or baked. Fried products are excluded, since low-density lipoproteins and carcinogens are formed during frying. Almost all vegetables are eaten cooked because large amounts of crude fiber cause bloating.

List of prohibited products:

• rich fresh bread, products from yeast and puff pastry, pancakes, fried pies, pancakes, pasta from soft wheat varieties (contain easily digestible carbohydrates);
• High-fat whole milk, fat cottage cheese, sour cream, cheese;
• fried and boiled eggs (especially the yolk - a source of saturated fat);
• soups on a concentrated and fatty broth of fish and meat, broths of mushrooms;
• fatty meat (lamb, pork), poultry (duck, goose), chicken skin, especially fried, sausages, sausages;
• fatty fish, caviar, salted fish, canned food, fried fish with margarine and solid fats;
• solid fats (lard, margarine, cooking oil);
• squid, shrimp;
• natural coffee brewed from beans (the fats come out of the beans during brewing);
• Vegetables, especially fried in solid fats (French fries, fried in soup) Coconuts and salted nuts;
• mayonnaise, sour cream and cream sauces;
• Confectionery creams, chocolate, cocoa, cakes, ice cream.

Approved Products

Recommended foods in a diet for high cholesterol should contain a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids, which are sources of "good" cholesterol.

This applies primarily to fish, which contain omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids. Fish is also a source of vitamin D.

A large amount of soluble fiber (oatmeal) increases the content of high-density lipoproteins. Fresh vegetables and fruits contain large amounts of antioxidants that strengthen the vascular walls. Nuts also contain many antioxidants (vitamin E).

A high cholesterol diet is designed to normalize the ratio of high-grade lipoproteins (up) to low-grade lipoproteins (down).

List of allowed products:

• dried or yesterday's bread, made from wholemeal flour, bread with bran, pasta made from durum wheat;
• Vegetable oils in any quantity, with the exception of palm oil (fill salads with unrefined vegetable oil);
• Vegetables: potatoes, cauliflower and cabbage, carrots (removes toxins), lettuce (a source of folic acid), squash, zucchini, beets;
• lean meat and poultry (rabbit, turkey and skinless chicken, veal, lean beef);
• Seafood: Limited scallops, oysters, clams, and crab;
• Fish, especially sea fish, low-fat varieties (baked and boiled): tuna, haddock, flounder, saithe, cod, hake;
• legumes as a source of vegetable protein;
• nuts (walnuts, peanuts) contain a large amount of phospholipids, which reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol, are sources of vitamin E;
• Onions and garlic, contain a lot of vitamin C, protect the vessel walls, remove calcium deposits and fat from the body;
• Oatmeal, muesli, pudding from other cereals (muesli must be cooked in diluted milk);
• low-fat milk, low-fat cottage cheese, sour cream, kefir, yogurt, low-fat and unsalted cheese;
• Juices, especially from citrus fruits (a lot of ascorbic acid, which strengthens the vascular wall);
• weakly brewed tea, coffee drink with milk, decoctions of vegetables, rose hips, compotes;
• Spices: pepper, mustard, spices, vinegar, lemon, horseradish.

The need for a diet

Compliance with the diet regulates the level of high and low density lipoproteins, thereby lowering the level of "bad" cholesterol.

The treatment table for high cholesterol allows you to normalize its content without taking any medication. In addition, in people who follow a diet, the vessels remain "clean" for a long time, blood circulation in them is not disturbed, which has a positive effect not only on the state of the cardiovascular system, but also on the condition of the skin, nails and hair.

A large amount of antioxidants in recommended foods with high cholesterol slows down skin aging, prevents the development of pathologies of internal organs and increases vitality.

Consequences of non-compliance with the diet

A high level of cholesterol in the blood is the first bell of the impending arteriosclerosis of the vessels.

With atherosclerosis, plaques form on the walls of blood vessels, narrowing the lumen of the arteries of the veins, which threatens not only the development of circulatory disorders throughout the body, but also such dangerous complications as stroke and heart attack .

Also, high cholesterol is one of the factors in the development of hypertension and cerebral atherosclerosis (impaired memory, blurred vision, tinnitus, sleep disorders, dizziness).