Foods that lower bad cholesterol levels in the blood

Too fat!

Cholesterol is produced in the body and comes in two types - beneficial and harmful. The first helps build new cells and is needed for the production of certain hormones. But harmful cholesterol is deposited on the walls of blood vessels, disrupts blood circulation and leads to atherosclerosis. This means that people with high levels of bad cholesterol in their blood are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and memory problems in old age.

There is quite a lot of cholesterol in squid, mussels, caviar, fish, and egg yolk. However, dietary cholesterol does not at all cause an increase in the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, so there is no point in denying yourself seafood and scrambled eggs. The so-called saturated fats are more dangerous in this regard. They are the main culprits of cholesterol plaques. The most saturated fats are found in butter, lard, fatty meats, and offal.

However, you cannot completely give up saturated fats - they are necessary for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, you just need to try not to overdo it with the amount. On a 2,000 calorie diet, the body needs approximately 15 grams of saturated fat. But everything you get in excess of this norm is already harmful.

Garlic and lemon for cholesterol - risks and contraindications

Despite the complete naturalness of the described recipes, regular consumption of certain products can lead to undesirable consequences. The main contraindications for home treatment for high cholesterol are:

• Allergic intolerance to any component, most often it turns out to be citrus fruits or honey, since these products, in principle, are powerful allergens.
• Gastrointestinal diseases, such as ulcers, gastritis.
• Diabetes.
• Pregnancy and lactation.
• Epilepsy.
• Diseases of the urinary system.

In any case, before starting treatment with garlic, it is strongly recommended to consult a doctor to avoid negative consequences. In addition, throughout the course you should adhere to a healthy diet, regularly take walks in the fresh air and constantly replenish the level of moisture in the body by drinking at least 1.5 liters of water per day.

Cleaners

It turns out that some foods can reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. So, in order to clean the blood vessels from plaques, it is enough to slightly adjust your menu.

Carrots According to studies, just 2 carrots a day for two months reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the blood by 15%.

Additional bonuses: For those who want to have healthy gums and teeth, it is recommended to gnaw on the orange root vegetable as often as possible - carrots perfectly cleanse the enamel of food debris and cope with microbes that cause caries and inflammation of the gums. Fresh carrots are often included in the diet of people suffering from liver, kidney, and cardiovascular diseases. A healthy vegetable helps prevent the exacerbation of these ailments.

Tomatoes The bright red pigment of tomatoes called lycopene is a real “cholesterol antidote”. Scientists believe that just 25 mg of lycopene per day will eliminate a tenth of cholesterol in your blood. To provide yourself with this “dose”, it is enough to drink two glasses of tomato juice. Added bonus: Tomatoes are high in potassium. This microelement maintains the tone of the heart muscle. That is why doctors recommend including as many fresh tomatoes in the menu as possible for those who have problems with the heart and blood vessels. And nutritionists are sure that tomatoes help to cope with extra pounds, because they contain quite a lot of chromium, which helps relieve hunger, and very few calories - only 22 kcal/100 g.

Garlic Garlic owes its anticholesterol effect to a substance called alliin. It is this that gives garlic its pungency and specific smell. Alliin by itself does not provide any particular benefit to the body. But as soon as you start cutting, crushing or chewing garlic, alliin is converted into allicin, which cleans blood vessels from plaque. Extra Bonuses: Allicin has made garlic a favorite vegetable for bodybuilders. The fact is that this substance helps build muscle mass. Of course, not as effective as steroids, but without harm to the body. True, in order for your biceps and triceps to begin to increase in volume, you need to eat at least four cloves of garlic a day and not neglect training.

Allicin can also improve brain activity, normalize the functioning of the nervous system and increase performance. In addition, the hot vegetable normalizes blood pressure. However, if an attack of hypertension has already begun and you have taken the medicine, you should not supplement the treatment with garlic therapy. In combination with some antihypertensive drugs, garlic can be harmful to health.

Nuts As American scientists found in the course of their study, people who ate 60 grams of any nuts per day on average experienced a 5% drop in total cholesterol levels in their blood. Meanwhile, the concentration of so-called bad cholesterol decreased by 7.5%. The researchers also discovered several interesting patterns. For example, the higher the initial concentration of bad cholesterol, the stronger the effect of nuts. Body mass index also influenced the effectiveness of the “nut diet”: the less excess weight, the greater the healing effect. Additional bonuses: All varieties of nuts contain vitamins A, E and B, as well as a whole range of microelements such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron. In addition, beneficial nucleoli reduce the risk of senile dementia and sudden heart attack.

Peas If you eat just one and a half cups of boiled peas a day for three weeks, your bad cholesterol levels will drop by 20%. Additional bonuses: The main wealth of peas is the abundance of B vitamins, which are necessary for the smooth functioning of the nervous system, beautiful hair and sound sleep. Those who want to always remain young and full of energy also need to give peas their due. Scientists have found in this vegetable a large amount of antioxidants - substances that slow down aging and protect the body from the adverse effects of the environment. Having learned about this, cosmetologists immediately set about developing special lines of anti-aging cosmetics based on peas.

Fatty fish Omega-3 acids, which fish oil is so rich in, effectively fight cholesterol deposits. Additional bonuses: Fish, like meat, is an excellent supplier of animal proteins necessary for the body. However, unlike meat, fish protein contains less connective fiber, and therefore is easier to digest and digest faster. In addition, compared to meat, fish is lower in calories, and therefore it can be eaten without fear even by those who dream of losing extra pounds. In addition, fish protein contains a lot of tauric acid, which helps prevent cardiovascular and nervous diseases. Ocean fish are the richest in taurine. And, of course, fish contains a whole range of microelements. Among them are phosphorus and fluoride (they will save you from unnecessary visits to the dentist), potassium (which normalizes blood pressure) and selenium (which will strengthen your immune system and save you from frequent mood swings).

Garlic and lemon for atherosclerosis

Garlic against atherosclerosis is used for prevention and treatment. Its regular use for three months reduces the number of atherosclerotic plaques by 20%. However, like any other product, it is addictive, so after a full course of treatment it is recommended to take a long break, otherwise the therapeutic effect will stop.

Lemon is used for atherosclerosis due to the flavonoids and folic acid in its composition , which strengthen blood vessels, take part in the production of red blood cells, improve blood composition and, in general, prevent the development of sclerotic lesions.

Both garlic and lemon separately have a powerful cleansing effect on the body, and complex treatment of atherosclerosis with garlic and lemon allows you to remove the accumulation of “bad” cholesterol, which means normalizing blood pressure, forgetting about pain in the head, as well as painful sensations in the presence of hemorrhoids and varicose veins .

Tincture recipe

To obtain the effect of cleansing blood vessels, it is important to properly prepare the remedy. One of the most effective forms of using garlic and lemon is their tincture. It is prepared in two versions: water and alcohol. To prepare the tincture you will need the following ingredients:

• 4 heads of garlic.
• 4 lemons with zest.
• Boiled and cooled water for pouring into a 3-liter jar.

Using a food processor or a simple meat grinder, grind the lemon along with the zest and peeled heads of garlic. The resulting mass is placed in a three-liter glass jar and filled to the neck with warm boiled water. The resulting product is infused at room temperature for 3 days.

The contents of the jar are stirred regularly. After the specified time, the liquid is filtered and stored in the refrigerator. It is recommended to take the tincture 3 times a day, 100 grams before meals. This is the maximum allowable dosage.

The absence of side effects is guaranteed if a person takes it without contraindications. The course of complete cleansing lasts 40 days. To avoid a break if the tincture runs out, you need to prepare it several times in advance. Vessels are cleaned in this way once a year.

If there is no prior consultation with a doctor, but there is every reason to carry out such a procedure, the drug is taken in a milder mode, i.e., in a reduced dose. In this case, consider daily consumption of 1 tbsp. l. tinctures 2-3 times a day.

The effect may not be so quick, but the load on the stomach and other organs will be reduced. During the period of taking garlic and lemon tincture water, it is recommended to drink a lot of liquid. This will enhance the blood cleansing effect. To prepare another version of the alcohol infusion, you will need 350 grams of peeled garlic cloves and the same amount of lemon.

The garlic is crushed in any convenient way, placed in a glass container and filled with alcohol or vodka, tightly closed with a lid. The garlic-alcohol mixture is infused for 3 weeks, shaking the container regularly. After this, strain the mixture and mix with lemon juice. It is recommended to take the alcohol tincture once a day, 2 tbsp. l. preferably before bed.

Traditional medicine also offers a remedy for cholesterol using, in addition to garlic and lemon, ginger root. This additional ingredient has beneficial properties: strengthens blood vessels, removes excess cholesterol, regulates fat metabolism, thins the blood and prevents the formation of blood clots.

To prepare a medicinal elixir you need to take:

• 1 lemon;
• 150 g ginger root;
• 5 tbsp. l. honey;
• 4 medium cloves of garlic.

The lemon is ground in a meat grinder, after thoroughly washing with hot water. The ginger is grated and the garlic is pressed. After mixing the crushed ingredients well, add honey and transfer the mixture to a glass container. There is no need to infuse additionally; the product is ready for use.

Take 2 tbsp twice daily. l. 30 minutes before a meal. You can drink it with warm water or tea. The duration of such treatment is 1 month. The course is repeated first after 3, and then after 6 months.