A High Cholesterol Diet Should Cut Down On Margarine Consumption

Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) that is produced by the body and is essential for good health, being present in every cell in the body. High cholesterol levels in the blood are normally associated with heart disease risk as well as strokes. It is believed that as many as seventy percent of people above the age of forty-five suffer from high cholesterol. High cholesterol levels can cause cardiovascular disease such as diseases of the heart as well as the blood vessels. The factors that contribute to high blood cholesterol include diets high in saturated fats, lack of exercise, family history, being overweight, age and sex as well as drinking more alcohol than is recommended. A high cholesterol diet should be one that positively affects such contributory factors and will often entail cutting down on certain types of food. Even then, the diet meant to lower cholesterol is but one factor that influences cholesterol; since much of it is manufactured in the liver. The 'official line' as to what to eat to lower cholesterol is not to eat foods containing high cholesterol and reducing fats is, as recent research has found out, totally wrong.

Adjusting Your Diet

High cholesterol diets that emphasize cutting eggs and butter out of the diet have been found to have minimal impact on the levels of cholesterol. Stopping the consumption of margarine is more important as is reducing the intake of refined as well as processed food, which is full of hydrogenated fats and oils, as also trans fats. Saturated fats in butter are not half as dangerous as the above-mentioned foods, because they can be handled and, in fact, are needed by the body.

Studies have even established that high cholesterol diets that consist of low fat, low cholesterol can be dangerous because they can lower the 'good' cholesterol (HDL) while only minimally impacting on LDL or 'bad' cholesterol, and it may end up making the situation worse. For those that are not already doing so, adding a natural cholesterol lowering nutrient to the high cholesterol diet is highly recommended. A high cholesterol diet that lacks in essential fatty acids may also contribute to heart problems. Supplementing the diet with a tablespoon of organic flax seed oil daily is an excellent source for Omega 3 essential fatty acids, and it does not make fat but helps lose weight. Cooking with only 'Extra Virgin Olive Oil' is also recommended as it helps lower LDL levels, while also raising HDL levels.

Cooking with lots of garlic is helpful in lowering cholesterol as too is taking quality natural cholesterol lowering supplements that have genuine Policosanol as well as guggulipid, because such substances are proven to effectively lower LDL and raise HDL. A good high cholesterol diet can easily outperform statin drugs and also not have any side effects.