Control your high cholesterol with plant sterols

Statins are usually prescribed for high cholesterol. But you can also get it under control by consuming more plant-based foods rich in sterols.

By: Editorial Team | | Published: December 11, 2019 10:30 am

Tags: High cholesterol level Plant-based diet

As part of an overall heart-healthy diet, the National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that a person should consume 2gm of plant sterols every day. © Shutterstock

A study at the Houston Methodist Research Institute discovered what makes white blood cell counts spike in individuals who have high cholesterol. This may lead to new therapies for heart disease. Researchers looked at hypercholesterolemia, which is the type of high cholesterol that causes very high levels of LDL, the so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol, to circulate in the blood. They identified a new regulatory mechanism in zebrafish models responsible for this increase. The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and Nature Reviews Cardiology published this study. Also Read - Replacing red meat with plant foods ‘can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease’

Cholesterol is necessary but too much of it can increase your risk of heart diseases. High cholesterol may be the result of your unhealthy lifestyle. Sometimes, it may also be an inherited condition. But whatever the reason, it is necessary to keep it within normal levels. Also Read - Plant-based diet may rev up your metabolism: Study

While we all wish to have our cholesterol levels in control, leading a sedentary lifestyle, eating junk food and undue stress can elevate them. This increases your risk for heart disease and high blood pressure. Many doctors vouch for statin medications as the first-line of treatment to reduce cholesterol. But the truth is they could be causing you more harm than good. Plant sterols, on the other hand, are the most scientifically studied natural health substances that can lower cholesterol naturally. We tell you why they can be better than statins. Also Read - Get cholesterol checked from 20s to calculate heart risk

Plant Sterols vs Statins

Statins are medicines that block the action of a chemical in the liver required to make cholesterol. Not only do they reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol, they are also quite inexpensive, which is the main reason for their popularity.

However, what people don’t know is that statins can cause serious muscular problems which can weaken your muscles. Statins may burden the liver and may adversely affect people fighting liver disease, those who regularly drink alcohol and take over-the-counter medicines such as ibuprofen.

Plant sterols, or ‘phytosterols’, are naturally occurring substances found in plant foods—nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and vegetable oils. They are similar in chemical structure to dietary cholesterol and prevent the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, bringing the levels down. More than 200 research studies conducted over the last 60 years have consistently found them safe and effective in reducing blood LDL (bad) cholesterol by eight to 10 per cent.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that patients who consumed 2gm of plant sterols every day for one year lowered LDL (bad) cholesterol by 14 per cent and total cholesterol by 10 per cent.

How To Include Them In Your Diet

As part of an overall heart-healthy diet, the National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that a person should consume 2gm of plant sterols every day. The highest amounts of plant sterols can be found in:

Cereals such as wheat germ, oat bran, rice bran, and brown rice.

Legumes such as dried peas, lentils and dried beans.

Dried nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.

You could also take plant sterol supplements.

Text sourced from zliving.com

Published : December 11, 2019 10:30 am

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