Millions of adults have total cholesterol levels above 200, which puts them at risk of heart disease and stroke. If you are part of this group, lowering your cholesterol should be a priority. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and taking prescribed medications to lower cholesterol can help. In addition, some drinks may provide a cholesterol-lowering boost. This article will provide information about these drinks and the science behind their effectiveness.
Understanding cholesterol
Cholesterol is the essential waxy substance that flows through the blood in your body. Despite its reputation, it is essential for many bodily functions, such as formation of cell membranes, production of bile, vitamin D, and hormones.
The body is self-sufficient, producing all necessary cholesterol without requiring any dietary cholesterol. Unfortunately, too much cholesterol can be dangerous, causing high blood pressure and an increased risk of stroke or heart attack. To avoid this, cholesterol levels can be lowered through exercise and a healthy diet, including beverages that naturally lower cholesterol.
High cholesterol usually means high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol levels. However, dietary modifications can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels.
For example, eating oats, avocadoFatty salmon and nuts can be beneficial. In addition, some drinks can help maintain or lower cholesterol levels. It can be a convenient way to control cholesterol levels.
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The best natural drinks to lower cholesterol
Beverages often contain ingredients that are not common in food. For example, drinking beverages that contain high cholesterol-lowering ingredients can be beneficial because they provide an enormous amount of nutrition in a small serving.
fibrous juices
Adding fiber to your diet is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Soluble fiber helps reduce cholesterol levels in the bloodstream by preventing it from being absorbed from food.
To increase your fiber intake, add berries to your smoothie. Raspberries, raspberries, and strawberries are all excellent sources of fibre. Additionally, research has revealed that blueberries can contribute to lowering LDL levels. Therefore, make sure to include fiber in your diet for optimal health. Spinach, kale, and cucumber are also good sources of fiber and excellent ingredients for healthy smoothies.
Oatmeal drinks
Oats are an excellent source of soluble fiber, which can help reduce cholesterol. Research indicates that oat beverages, such as oat milk, provide more effective and sustainable cholesterol reduction due to their beta-glucan content.
This soluble fiber prevents cholesterol absorption and lowers cholesterol levels. Therefore, oatmeal drinks can be used as a substitute for high-fat dairy products. However, it’s important to keep the calorie count in mind, because oatmeal drinks typically contain between 90 and 120 calories per cup.
When choosing oatmeal drinks, read labels carefully to check for sugar and preservatives. Otherwise, you can always add rolled oats to your fruit and vegetable smoothies in place of full-fat dairy products.
Vegetable juices
Enjoy a delicious, heart-healthy beverage by blending a plant-based milk, such as soy or oat milk, with bananas, peaches, grapes, mangoes, melons, and other fruits.
Plant-based milk contains ingredients that help lower cholesterol, making this smoothie a great way to benefit your heart health while enjoying a tasty treat!
Green tea
Green tea is less processed than other types of tea, which allows it to preserve its natural beneficial properties. Additionally, a study revealed that green tea contains catechins, antioxidants linked to lower LDL and total cholesterol levels.
Read more: Does green tea help with weight loss? Detailed guide
However, it is necessary to be careful when choosing green tea, as not all teas are created equal. It is best to choose green tea with minimal processing to get the most benefit.
Herbal Concoction
Our kitchen provides many herbs and spices that help reduce cholesterol and improve overall health. Some examples are ginger, garlic, turmeric, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, curry leaves, mint, basil, etc.
Boil 2-3 or more ingredients above in water and enjoy a small cup of herbal tea once daily.
Soy milk
Soy milk is a plant-based beverage that contains as much protein as cow’s milk, making it an excellent alternative for those looking to stay healthy.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends consuming 25 grams of soy protein per day to lower blood cholesterol levels by about 12%. Studies have shown that soy protein can reduce bad LDL cholesterol by 4-6%.
Furthermore, since soybeans are low in saturated fat, switching from high-fat dairy products to soy milk may help regulate cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
pomegranate juice
Compared to other fruit juices such as blueberries, cranberries, and oranges, pomegranate juice contains more antioxidants that can help reduce cholesterol levels.
Read more: Pomegranate – Benefits, Nutritional Value, Uses, and More
Research has revealed that drinking pomegranate juice can help protect against risk factors for various diseases, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, oxidative stress, high blood sugar, and inflammation. This is due to its high antioxidant content, which is nearly three times higher than other beverages such as green tea.
A study of people with type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidemia showed that consuming pomegranate juice concentrate reduced their total cholesterol levels.
Tomato juice
Consuming tomato juice can lower cholesterol levels.
A study showed that drinking 400ml (13.5oz) of tomato juice per day reduced total cholesterol by 5.9% and LDL cholesterol by 12.9% compared to a group that did not consume any tomato products.
Adding tomato juice to your diet can help reduce heart disease, cancer, aging, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and other diseases. Plus, you can get the same cholesterol-lowering benefits from dishes like tomato basil soup or a glass of low-sodium tomato juice.
Coco drinks
Cocoa contains flavanols, a compound that may help reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. According to research, dark chocolate, which contains at least 70% cocoa, can help improve heart health, blood pressure, and cognitive function.
However, most cocoa drinks contain added sugars, which can negatively affect cardiovascular health and increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and high blood pressure.
To benefit from cocoa without the added risk, choose cocoa powder (the raw form of cocoa) or beverages with at least 70-90% cocoa or raw cocoa and no added sugar or a little raw honey or maple syrup.
Satisfy sweet cravings and lower your cholesterol at the same time by adding cocoa powder to smoothies or making hot cocoa with soy milk.
HealthifyMe note
Eating a well-balanced diet is key to maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. In addition to the foods already listed, other juices may help lower cholesterol. Black and white tea may also help keep cholesterol levels in check, although their effects may not be as strong as those of green tea. It can also help improve blood vessel function and reduce LDL levels. It is not enough to drink cholesterol-lowering drinks daily. You should improve your overall lifestyle with regard to nutrition, sleep cycle, activity and hydration.
Drinks to avoid when you have high cholesterol
To maintain or improve healthy cholesterol levels, those who wish to drink alcohol should limit their consumption or abstain from alcohol.
People should also avoid drinks that are high in saturated fat, such as coffee or tea with cream or coconut or palm oil, drinks that contain ice cream, and high-fat dairy products. Furthermore, they should reduce their intake of sugary drinks, as this may lower HDL levels and increase triglyceride levels.
drinks to avoid
- Coffee or tea with added cream, whipped cream, high-fat milk or creamer
- Beverages or juices that contain coconut oil or palm oil
- Compressed Coconut Drinks
- Drinks containing ice cream
- High-fat dairy products
Sugar sweetened drinks to avoid
- Fruit juices
- sports drinks
- Energy Drinks
- soda or pop
- Sweetened coffee or tea
- hot chocolate
- Pre-packaged juices
- Chocolate or sweetened dairy products
Other ways to lower high cholesterol
To lower cholesterol levels, several changes in lifestyle or habits can be beneficial. Here are some examples.
- Limit consumption of foods high in saturated fat (such as animal products, tropical oils, baked goods, fried foods, and processed foods)
- Limit your intake of foods rich in sugar
- Do at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week
- Eat healthy foods (such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats in moderation, nuts, legumes, vegetable oils, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products)
- increasing fiber intake, stopping smoking, treating or managing type 2 diabetes,
- Maintain a healthy or moderate weight and stay hydrated.
- Doctors can also prescribe medications to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
conclusion
About 38% of adults in America are affected by high cholesterol levels, and it is essential to take action to reduce them. High cholesterol can lead to serious problems with the heart and blood vessels, such as heart attacks and strokes.
Additionally, while we need some cholesterol for healthy digestion and hormone production, too much can be dangerous.
Lifestyle and diet changes are the best way to reduce cholesterol levels, and several beverages may help. Oat and soy drinks, tomato juice, green tea and cocoa drinks are all potential sources of compounds that may help maintain cholesterol levels. Keeping cholesterol levels under control is vital to overall health, especially cardiovascular health.
