In the US, heart disease is the most common cause of death responsible for more than 600,000 (or 1 out of every 4 deaths) every year. This is true for both men and women. Of these deaths, coronary artery disease is responsible for approximately 370,000 fatalities. Given these frightening statistics it is imperative that we address identify those at risk and take steps to prevent it.
Risk factors for heart disease, especially coronary artery disease, are well known. Some of them cannot be changed, such as age, male gender, family history, and post-menopausal state. Other risk factors can be modified: smoking, uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes mellitus, obesity, physical inactivity, and hyperlipidemia. Lifestyle changes have been proven to not only control the mentioned chronic disease, but it can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Hyperlipidemia is an important modifiable predictor to address. The CDC estimates 95 million adults in the US have total cholesterol levels above 200 mg/dL. Approximately 29 million have levels above 240. In children between the ages of 6 and 19 years, approximately 7 percent have elevated total cholesterol. While there are medications, such as statins, to lower cholesterol as well as others to treat heart disease, there are some risks associated with these medications. Statins, for example, have in some cases been linked to liver damage, myopathies, and memory problems while popular blood thinners can cause irreversible bleeding.
On the other hand, trying to lower cholesterol through lifestyle changes carries no such hazards. There is much evidence available that eating a healthy diet can lower cholesterol levels and ,thus, the risk of heart disease. Experts at Harvard Medical School went a step further and listed specific foods that help lower cholesterol. This list includes oats, barley and other whole grains, beans, eggplant and okra, nuts, vegetable oils, certain fruits (apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits, foods fortified with sterols and stanols, soy, fish, and fiber supplements.
There is much evidence that shows oatmeal can play a significant role in lower cholesterol. In fact, the FDA supports this health claim since 1997. Oatmeal is full of soluble fiber which, experts speculate, interferes with the adsorption of cholesterol from the intestines so that it is eliminated from the body rather than entering the circulation system. Oatmeal can be eaten alone or it can be ground up and added to other foods to receive the maximum benefit. Barley and other whole grains appear to act in a similar fashion. It is especially effective when refined, processed grains, such as flour, are replaced with these whole grains.
In an interesting study about beans, Canadian researchers discovered that a single serving (3/4 of a cup) of legumes such as beans, chickpeas, lentils and peas, is strongly associated with a reduction of LDL cholesterol by 5 percent. These researchers believed that this 5 percent lowering of LDL values also represented a 5 percent in heart disease risk. They found that the LDL lowering tended to be more in men than women. They suspected this may be due to the fact that the men in the study had worse eating habits as well as higher initial LDL levels.
Okra and eggplant are rich in soluble fiber which, like with oatmeal, binds the cholesterol in the digestive tract leading to its excretion. Another important way that they control cholesterol is the fact that they contain phytosterols, which are found in plant cell membranes and similar in structure to cholesterol. Thus, they compete with cholesterol molecules for absorption and, therefore, less cholesterol is adsorbed and enters the bloodstream. Vitamin C in these vegetables lowers cholesterol by helping convert cholesterol into bile acids, which is important for the digestion of fat. In this way, it helps lower cholesterol levels. Vitamin C is because it slows oxidation that can be damaging to blood vessels.
There are several ways that nuts can help lower cholesterol. They contain protein, fiber, vitamins, anti-oxidants, and minerals. Some of them contain high amounts of unsaturated or “good” fats, which lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is the “bad cholesterol” which clogs the arteries and raises the risk of heart disease. HDL is the “good cholesterol”, which carries away the bad cholesterol out of the arteries to the liver to be filtered and excreted. Nuts have also been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce central adiposity. Some nuts are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which lowers the risk of abnormal heart rhythms.slightly decreases blood pressure, slows the rate of artery plaque build-up, and lowers triglycerides. Nuts also contain folic acid, potassium, Vitamin E and Arginine which each provide other heart health benefits. The best nuts to eat are walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, and peanuts.Of course, they should be eaten in moderation or they lose their health benefits.
There is some evidence that soy protein can lower LDL cholesterol. It has been estimated that including these foods in your diet can lower LDL cholesterol by approximately 3 percent.While this may seem a small amount, if making other diet modifications are taken into account, together it can have a significant impact. The best way to benefit from soy products is swapping them for things you already eat in your diet. for example, use soy milk instead of cow’s milk or use soy beans instead of beef.
Many kinds of fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids which we previously discussed. The best sources are salmon, trout and tuna. It is recommended to eat fish twice a week.
While we discussed foods that help lower cholesterol, there are some that should be avoided if you have high cholesterol. Liver has a high concentrated level of cholesterol. It used to be thought that margarine was healthier than butter. However, this has been shown to be untrue as margarine contains trans-fats. Commercial baked goods such as cookies, cupcakes, cakes and muffins are made with hydrogenated vegetable oils and therefore have high amounts of cholesterol. Shellfish contain high concentrations of cholesterol. Other foods in this list include Mac & Cheese, hamburgers, fried chicken, french fries, cream cheese, ice cream, egg yolks, butter, and red meat.
While a large number of the US population will have high cholesterol levels at some point in their lives, it can be improved without medications that may have side effects. Lifestyle changes, including heart healthy eating, can significantly make an impact on cholesterol, as well as hypertension and diabetes, and reduce risk factors for heart disease. It is time we all start eating our way to a healthy heart.
Special thanks to Consumer Safety.org for providing their fact sheet for this article.
Photo credit: Footsteps to Fertility Centre
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