A lot of dietary fiber in vegetables and fruits, directly reducing cholesterol
Hyperlipidemia is sometimes diagnosed during a health checkup. There are too many cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. It appears in the form of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterolemia, collectively referred to as dyslipidemia. Following arteriosclerosis, which narrows blood vessels, there is a possibility of developing dangerous vascular diseases such as heart disease (angina pectoris-myocardial infarction) and stroke (cerebral infarction-cerebral hemorrhage). What foods should I eat to reduce fat and cholesterol?
◆ Excessive fat intake, lack of exercise, heredity… judged by blood tests
The causes of dyslipidemia can be divided into two main categories. Excessive fat intake, lack of exercise, and heredity can be mentioned first. Hypothyroidism, chronic liver disease, hyperlipidemia may also appear due to underlying diseases such as nephrotic syndrome, pregnancy, or drug use. You can easily find out by doing a blood test on an empty stomach. If you have hyperlipidemia, you must first lower your ‘bad cholesterol’ (LDL).
The basis of treatment is a diet that selects and eats foods that reduce fat and cholesterol. The same goes for prevention. In general, medication is taken when hyperlipidemia continues even after 3 months of diet. Therefore, food choices are of utmost importance.
◆ How about meat?
If you already have hyperlipidemia, you should pay attention to your fat and cholesterol intake. Even if you only eat lean meat that has no fat attached, it is not good to eat a lot of meat because it contains some fat in the meat. If you have cardiovascular disease, it is better to reduce meat and eat a vegetarian diet. For prevention, you should refrain from eating too much of meat with a lot of fat on a daily basis.
◆ Soy foods such as beans and tofu… Effect of killing two birds with one stone, such as protein supplementation and prevention of vascular disease
If you don’t eat meat at all, you’re worried about the lack of protein, which is good for your muscles. Eat meat, but reduce the amount. The reduced amount of protein can be supplemented with soy foods. Eating a lot of soybean food reduces cholesterol and triglycerides. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also officially announced that consuming more than 25 gm of soy protein per day is effective in preventing vascular diseases such as heart disease.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also emphasizes eating enough beans, whole grains, vegetables, fish, etc., and eating appropriate amounts of food regularly and not salty. These contents are included in the 9 life guidelines for the prevention and management of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, which were revised in December last year.
◆ Directly reduces dietary fiber and cholesterol found in vegetables and fruits
For the prevention and treatment of dyslipidemia, three meals a day should be eaten regularly and overeating that causes excessive calorie intake should be avoided. Dietary fiber (fiber), which is abundant in vegetables and fruits, directly reduces cholesterol. If you already have hyperlipidemia, you must stop smoking because the risk of myocardial infarction, which may cause sudden death, increases significantly. Aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, swimming, and cycling lowers ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides and increases ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL), so it’s good to keep up with regular exercise.