Studies show that oats are decidedly beneficial in lowering cholesterol levels significantly.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that serves several important roles and functions in the body. While normal levels of cholesterol are important for good health, evidence demonstrates that elevated levels of cholesterol greatly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Experts recommended that the serum cholesterol level should be less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (fasting sample).
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Low Density Lipoprotien Verses High Density Lipoprotien Cholesterol Levels: Bad and Good Cholesterol
Cholesterol is transported in the blood via lipoproteins. LDL or low density lipoprotein is responsible for conveying fats from the liver to the body’s cells, and an elevation of LDL raises the risk of developing atherosclerosis.
HDL or high density lipoprotein conveys fat to the liver, and HDL protects against cardiac diseases.
Lowering Cholesterol Naturally With Oats
Oat bran is loaded with beta glucan, which helps decrease serum cholesterol levels appreciably. Beta glucan binds to the bile acids and removes them from the body via feces.
Clinical trials state that oats added to the daily diet exerts a favorable effect on the cholesterol levels.
Individuals having high levels of serum cholesterol can benefit immensely by consuming three grams of oat fiber per day. Three grams of oat fiber lowers total cholesterol level from 8% to 23%. This is noteworthy, because with every 1% drop in serum cholesterol level, there occurs a 2% decrease in the risk of developing heart diseases.
Three grams of oat fiber can be obtained by consuming one bowl of oatmeal or oat bran. It is important to note that people who demonstrate elevated levels of cholesterol will show a drastic reduction in the serum cholesterol level, whilst those who have normal cholesterol levels will see little change.
Cholesterol Diet and Oats: Oat Recipes
Here are a few quick serve ideas to add oats to the daily diet:
- Cook five spoonfuls of oats in one cup of skimmed milk. Add a pinch of ground cinnamon, one spoon of ground flax seeds and a few chopped prunes.
- Add oat bran to breads, muffins and cookies.
- Make a one-pot meal using oats, diced vegetables, spices and sesame seed butter.
Cholesterol Lowering Foods: Foods to Lower Cholesterol
The following foods have been proved to be highly valuable in the management of normal cholesterol levels:
- garlic
- onion
- flax seeds
- soy beans
- walnuts
These foods essentially contribute towards reducing the levels of bad cholestrol in the blood while concurrently increasing the levels of good cholestrol. Incorporation of these foods in regular diet contribute effectively towards reducing incidence of cardiovascular disorders.
