The No. 1 cause of death in the United States is coronary artery disease caused by high cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Artery-blocking plaques form when cholesterol is high. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 13 million people have coronary artery disease. In the United States, 16 percent of adults have high cholesterol. Natural diets can help prevent high cholesterol.
Low-Saturated-Fat Diet
Saturated fats and trans fats are the major contributors to high cholesterol. It is easy to naturally limit these fats to lower cholesterol. Less than 7 percent of the daily calories should come from saturated fats, according to the Mayo Clinic. You can reduce the amount of saturated fats by removing skin from poultry, eating red meat only once or twice a week, and trimming fat off meat prior to cooking. By eating foods that are high in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, you can lower cholesterol. Add fish to your diet several times a week to increase the amount of polyunsaturated fats. Use cholesterol-lowering margarines instead of butter, and choose olive oil or canola oil for cooking. To keep trans fats below 1 percent of the calories consumed daily, eliminate commercially baked goods and products that contain partially hydrogenated oil.
Fruit and Vegetable Diet
Many people choose a vegetarian diet to naturally reduce cholesterol. A vegetarian diet is excellent for decreasing cholesterol buildup, and many of the green leafy vegetables are also inherently full of antioxidants and vitamins. Even if you choose not to adhere strictly to a vegetarian diet, the Mayo Clinic recommends increasing the amount of vegetables in the diet to decrease cholesterol. Choose fresh or frozen vegetables, and avoid canned vegetables because of excessive salt content. Antioxidants naturally occur in fruit and can help lower cholesterol and protect the heart as well. If you use legumes, beans, peas and lentils to replace meat protein, you will lower your cholesterol.
Modified Protein Diet
To naturally lower cholesterol, it may be necessary to modify protein choices. Skim milk and low-fat milk are good choices. Eating no-fat dairy products, such as no-fat cheese, or low-fat cheese can help counter cholesterol. Nonfat yogurt is also a good protein choice. Omega-3 fatty acids will lower cholesterol and are found in cold-water fish such as salmon. Omega-3 protein choices are heart-protective as well. Changing from whole eggs to egg whites will naturally lower cholesterol as the yolk contains the cholesterol in eggs.
Flaxseed in the Diet
Flaxseed is high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and phytochemicals called lignans. According to the Mayo Clinic, flaxseed can help reduce cholesterol. Sprinkling ground flaxseed on cereal or yogurt in the morning is a great way to start the day with omega-3s. The Mayo Clinic recommends consuming between 1.1 and 1.6 grams of fatty acids a day for adults. One tablespoon of ground flaxseed provides 1.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids and can help naturally reduce cholesterol.
References
- Cleveland Clinic Center for Continuing Education: Coronary Artery Disease; Curtis M. Rimmerman
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: High Serum Total Cholesterol -- An Indicator for Monitoring Cholesterol Lowering Efforts: U.S. Adults, 2005--2006. Susan E. Schober, et.al.; December 2007
- Mayo Clinic; Heart Healthy Diet: 8 Steps to Prevent Heart Disease; March 2011
- Mayo Clinic; Ground Flaxseed Better Than Whole?; Katherine Zeratsky; January 2010
