High cholesterol: Eat THIS macronutrient to bust high cholesterol levels

High cholesterol levels can be dangerous. Putting your cardiovascular health at risk, high levels of cholesterol can lead to medical emergencies like stroke. While there are several causes of raised cholesterol, one of the most common causes is our diets which includes eating foods that contain too much saturated fat. Such foods include butter, cakes, biscuits, fatty cuts of meat, sausages, bacon, cured meats like salami and cheese.

Diet can either hamper or lower your levels, so choosing the right foods is imperative. If you have high cholesterol then one of the first steps to take is to stop eating these saturated fats and switch to foods that will not just control, but also lower your raised cholesterol. One of the key parts of cholesterol-busting foods is the macronutrient fibre.

Fibre, particularly soluble fibre, can help reduce the amount of LDL cholesterol in your blood. In case you’re not aware, there are two main forms of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL cholesterol also known as ‘bad’ is the type putting you at a greater risk of heart problems and strokes. HDL is known as “good cholesterol” because it transports excess cholesterol from your blood back to your liver to be eliminated.

Soluble fibre lowers cholesterol by preventing the reabsorption of bile in your gut. The body then pulls cholesterol from the bloodstream to make more bile, which in turn, reduces the overall LDL level.

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Finding sources of fibre is probably one of the easiest tasks to do. But since it is easy, people might not feel too excited about it. It comes without fancy words, simply put, all fruits and vegetables are rich in fibre-content. It’s natural, healthy and uncomplicated. Some of these excellent sources of fibre include sweet potato, aubergine, okra, broccoli, apples, strawberries and prunes. Pulses such as beans, peas and lentils are particularly high in soluble fibre. Oats are a good breakfast option, as these grains are packed with soluble fibre.

Experts recommend at least five portions of fruit and veg daily. A recent research study published in The Lancet found that intake of at least 25 grams of food fiber a day is associated with a lower weight, blood pressure, blood sugars, cholesterol, as well as lower risk of developing (or dying from) diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and breast or colon cancer.

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It is important to keep a check on your cholesterol levels. With high cholesterol, you can develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels which makes it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. These deposits (plaques) can reduce blood flow through your arteries, which can cause several complications. If the arteries that supply your heart with blood are affected, you might have chest pain and other symptoms of coronary artery disease.

If plaques tear or rupture, a blood clot can form at the plaque-rupture site — blocking the flow of blood or plugging an artery downstream. If the blood flow to part of your heart stops, you'll have a heart attack. Similar to a heart attack, a stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to part of your brain.