Did you know that 40% of adults in Brazil have altered cholesterol levels? According to the Brazilian Society of Cardiology, that's actually higher than in the United States.
Medical monitoring and medications, when guided by a specialist, are necessary to control the condition, because outside the norm, cholesterol can affect health in different ways. For example, excess LDL remains on the walls of the arteries, forming fatty plaques and clogging these vessels.
But are medications the only way to control these levels? Dr. Christopher Cannon, professor of medicine at Harvard University and editor-in-chief of the Heart Letter magazine, explains in an article for the university portal that two approaches can, according to science, help lower cholesterol: changes in eating habits and nutritional supplements.
According to Cannon, to reach the recommended LDL (bad) cholesterol level of 100 mg/dL or less, it’s important to replace saturated fats in your diet with unsaturated fats (such as those found in vegetable oils, avocados, and fatty fish). It’s also recommended to eat more plant foods (such as vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains—especially oats), which are high in fiber and help lower cholesterol, making it more difficult for your intestines to absorb.
“Eating a healthy diet has other cardiovascular benefits, even if your LDL doesn’t drop much. For example, many compounds found in whole, unprocessed plant foods help reduce inflammation.
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He also notes that three supplements—psyllium husk, plant sterols, and red yeast rice—may benefit heart health, but only in modest amounts; therefore, caution is warranted.
Psyllium husk, derived from the seeds of the plant Oval plantainIt is primarily known as a remedy for constipation and is available in powder, flakes, bars and capsules. It helps in the absorption of bile acids and cholesterol, which are eliminated from the body during bowel movements.
Plant sterols, found in plants such as nuts, soybeans, peas and rapeseed (the source of canola oil), have a similar structure to cholesterol, which helps limit how much the body can absorb.
Red yeast rice is prepared by cooking white rice with yeast. Monascus purpureuswhich contains monacolin K, the same active ingredient as lovastatin, a cholesterol-lowering medication.
Despite the benefits, Cannon issues a warning: “If you want to try these products, do so only under the supervision of a physician.”
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