Diet is one of the important points in the fight against atherosclerosis. First of all, it is required to reduce fat intake by 1/3. But if you follow only a diet, the "bad" cholesterol is reduced by 5 - 10%. And it must be reduced by 25%. Therefore, along with dietary nutrition, medications (statins) are prescribed that lower cholesterol.
The role of cholesterol in the body
Cholesterol is found in the tissues of the body, 80% of it is synthesized in the liver. The rest comes with food in the form of animal products. Statins block the enzyme in this cholesterol chain. It is one of the components of the cell wall, is involved in the synthesis of:
• vitamin D;
• hormones of the adrenal cortex and sex hormones;
• bile acids.
High cholesterol is harmful to the body: leads to atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke.
Normal blood cholesterol:
• for all healthy people - up to 5.0 mmol / l;
• in the presence of coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus (since 2009) <3.9 mmol / l;
• 5.3 - 6.5 - risk to a healthy person;
• above 6.5 - hypercholesterolemia.
Excess cholesterol is deposited in the form of plaques in the vessels of any location, disrupts the blood supply to the relevant organs.
Cholesterol in foods
The following foods contain the maximum amount of cholesterol:
• egg yolk;
• hard cheeses;
• liver;
• fat meat;
• caviar;
• offal.
Blood cholesterol decreases with starvation, pathology of lungs, malignant diseases, hyperthyroidism, lesions of the central nervous system.
After the age of 40, it is necessary to control blood cholesterol at least 1 time per year.
The effect of fat on cholesterol
Animal products are made up of saturated fats that significantly increase cholesterol.
Unsaturated fats that lower cholesterol are of plant origin.
Monounsaturated fats found in fish lead to normal cholesterol in the blood.
In cooking, it is preferable to use vegetable oil.
The right choice of products
Given this, you need to choose products based on their fat content:
Milk products
• milk - fat content not higher than 1.5%;
• cream and sour cream - exclude from the menu or reduce their amount in the diet and consume with minimal fat content;
• cheese - with a fat content of less than 35%;
• yogurt - milk or non-fat - not more than 2%;
• remove margarine and butter from the diet or significantly limit it.
Vegetable oils
Olive oil lowers cholesterol. Small amounts of sunflower, corn, peanut, and soybean oils are useful.
Meat products
Veal, beef, and lamb are suitable for nutrition with high cholesterol.
Sausages, bacon, sausages should be excluded.
Liver, heart, brain include high cholesterol and are not suitable for diet.
Turkey meat is useful in connection with a minimum fat content (3 - 5%).
Eggs
The yolk contains a lot of cholesterol, so it is necessary to limit the use of eggs: eat no more than 3 - 4 pieces per week. Proteins are allowed in any quantity.
Fruits and vegetables
In some European countries, which have the lowest mortality from heart attacks, strokes, hypertension, cancers, the Mediterranean diet is used for nutrition with high cholesterol. It involves the inclusion of vegetables and fruits on the menu every day. The diet is based on the rule "5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day." Each serving consists of 400 g per day of fruits and vegetables. Used:
• any fruit;
• salad of fresh or canned vegetables (3 tablespoons);
• any dried fruits (1 tablespoon);
• dishes of frozen vegetables and fruits (2 tablespoons).
Carbohydrates
Eating high cholesterol is a low-calorie diet. Calories come from animal fats in a minimal amount. In such cases, carbohydrates in bread and pasta are an alternative. The bread contains vegetable fiber. They bind cholesterol in the intestines and remove it from the body.
Alcohol
It has been established that the intake of alcohol in minimal doses prevents the onset and progression of atherosclerosis. Small amounts of alcohol, when taken regularly, inhibit the formation of blood clots in the vessels, and increase "good" cholesterol.
The established conventional norms for the use of alcohol:
• for men - 21 conventional units per day;
• for women - 14 units.
1 conventional unit is 8 g of pure alcohol. Based on this, daily intake of strong alcohol for men without harm to health is allowed - 60 g (or 200 g of red wine, or 220 g of beer). For women, 2/3 of the above amount is allowed.
Since this amount is usually always exceeded, alcohol is not recommended for the prevention of atherosclerosis in food with high cholesterol. If you have high blood pressure or high blood sugar, if you need diet food with high cholesterol, you should consult your doctor about the possibility of drinking even low-alcohol drinks.
Coffee
It was found that the exclusion of coffee from the diet reduces cholesterol by 17%. Ground coffee increases the amount of cholesterol due to the fats that are secreted from its beans.
Tea
Due to the large number of flavonoids, tea favorably affects the heart and blood vessels, is useful for the prevention of coronary disease.
Nuts
Vegetable protein and unsaturated fatty acids make nuts a useful ingredient in diets with high cholesterol. Regular use of nuts on the menu moderately lowers cholesterol.
Menu for high cholesterol
Eating with high cholesterol should ensure the intake of foods that increase the proportion of good, and limit foods that contain high levels of bad cholesterol.
An approximate menu for 3 days with high cholesterol:
First day
Breakfast No. 1: buckwheat porridge (100 - 150 g), plum juice, tea.
Breakfast No. 2: tangerine, apple or pear.
Lunch: chicken breast, rice, carrot and cabbage salad, rosehip infusion.
Snack: a salad of sweet pepper, tomatoes and cucumbers in olive oil, low-fat yogurt.
Dinner :, baked fish, salad with the addition of corn oil, juice.
Second day
Breakfast No. 1: Muesli with the addition of bran, possible with low-fat yogurt.
Breakfast No. 2: vegetable salad, apple juice.
Lunch: soup - pumpkin puree, low-fat beef, beans, herbal tea.
Snack: jelly, dried fruits with nuts.
Dinner: boiled asparagus with corn oil, low fat cheese, rye bread, tea.
The third day
Breakfast No. 1: porridge on the water from various cereals, juice, tea with honey.
Breakfast No. 2: fruit salad, bran bread.
Lunch: vegetable soup, vegetables seasoned with flaxseed oil, fish baked in the oven, compote.
Snack: apple, bran bread.
Dinner: salad with cheese, 2 bran bread, tomato juice.
High Cholesterol Nutrition Recipes
1. Baked chicken breast: chicken is lightly beaten, garlic and herbs are added, marinated in milk, laid out in a mold, baked, salted ready-made dish. Serve with any fresh vegetables.
2. Chicken fillet is cut into cubes, stewed in a saucepan on water until half cooked, add 300 g of beans in pods, spices, stew until chicken is fully cooked. Cut fresh herbs, pour over olive oil, add salt to taste, serve warm.
Such a diet does not contain simple carbohydrates, so not everyone can tolerate it well. Since it is unbalanced, it is contraindicated in pregnant, lactating, patients with diabetes. In old age or with a sedentary lifestyle, metabolism is significantly reduced. In these cases, it is not recommended to completely exclude products containing cholesterol, it is only necessary to limit it.
In all cases, before starting a diet, a doctor's consultation is necessary.
