Good Cholesterol Foods

You must be wondering, how cholesterol can be good? We have always heard of cholesterol being bad for health and the intake of cholesterol should be minimized. There is no doubt that cholesterol is harmful for health and its consumption should be restricted, But this is half the truth. Cholesterol is insoluble in blood, so to travel from the cells to other parts, they are carried by the lipoproteins. There are two common types of lipoproteins present in our body - LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which is the 'bad cholesterol', and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or 'good cholesterol'. LDL is present in the blood for a longer duration of time and later gets deposited at the internal walls of the organs. That in the long run creates respiratory problems. Whereas HDL is good for the body as it enables fluidity. It absorbs excess of LDL present in the blood and sends it to the liver for further processing and disposal. Thus, we see HDL prevents the formation of internal walls in the organs. So it becomes necessary for every individual to consume food to raise good cholesterol. Food with excess of cholesterol should be avoided and food that raises HDL level should be promoted. This article would give you a list of good cholesterol foods that should be made a part of your daily balanced diet. Scroll on to low cholesterol foods list to know more.

Foods with Good Cholesterol

Increasing HDL cholesterol level in the body minimizes the risks of a heart attack. Now the question arises, how can we raise HDL cholesterol level in the body? Apart from increasing regular workouts, reducing dietary saturated fat and quit smoking, the intake of good cholesterol foods can be increased that would increase the level HDL cholesterol. Following are some good cholesterol foods list that would open your options to raise HDL level.

• Oatmeal: Oatmeal is rich in soluble fibers that helps in reducing the bad cholesterol level by absorbing the bad cholesterol from the blood, and thus is ranked one of the best low cholesterol foods.
• Walnuts and Other Nuts: Blood cholesterol is reduced due to the consumption of walnuts, almonds and some other types of nuts. Walnuts keep the blood vessels healthy because of the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acid. But nuts are rich in calories so it should not be consumed in large quantity. A handful of nuts will suffice.
• Fish: High level of omega-3 essential fatty acid present in fish is good for a healthy heart. It also reduces the chances of blood clots and lowers the blood pressure. Those who do not prefer taking fish can take its substitutes like ground flax seed and canola oil.
• Olive Oil: Antioxidants mixed with potent content of olive oil makes it one of the good cholesterol foods to reduce LDL level. If you consume extra-virgin olive oil that is less processed and rich in antioxidants, the effects can be multiplied.
• Eggs: Eggs are not only rich in protein, but also an excellent low cholesterol diet to increase the level of HDL cholesterol. The best form in which eggs should be consumed are boiled form because most of its nutrients remain intact. Omelets can also be consumed, but should be made with minimum possible quantity of oil.
• Kale Juice: The taste of kale juice might not be very good and might be absent from your long list of delicious food, but its benefits cannot be ignored. It is also a very good source to increase good cholesterol. The studies have shown that if 150 ml kale juice is consumed per day for twelve weeks, 27% increased in HDL has been observed.
• Cocoa: Cocoa gives good health along with good taste. If ¼ cup of cocoa is consumed daily for twelve weeks, 24% of good cholesterol level is observed to increase.
• Others: Other good cholesterol foods rich in soluble fibers are apples, pears, kidney beans, prunes and barley.

So, if you want to increase the HDL level in blood to control bad cholesterol, then you must inculcate good cholesterol foods in your diet, and restrict other unhealthy diets rich in calories and fat. And finally, eat healthy and stay healthy!