In autumn, many friends indulge in feasting under the guise of fattening up for autumn. Such dietary habits can significantly increase body lipid levels, and the dangers of high lipid levels are profound. Today, we bring up the topic of foods that help reduce blood lipids. Let’s take a look at what foods can help lower blood lipids.
Foods that help reduce blood lipids:
1. Corn
Rich in calcium, magnesium, selenium, as well as lecithin, linoleic acid, and vitamin E, all of which have the effect of reducing serum cholesterol.
2. Oats
Contains a high amount of linoleic acid, accounting for 35%-52% of all unsaturated fatty acids; also rich in vitamin E and contains saponins. These components have the effect of reducing plasma cholesterol levels.
3. Milk
Contains hydroxy-, methyl pentanoic acid, which can inhibit the activity of cholesterol synthetic enzymes in the body, thereby inhibiting cholesterol synthesis and reducing cholesterol levels in the blood. Additionally, milk is rich in calcium, which can also reduce cholesterol absorption in the body.
4. Onion
Its lipid-lowering efficacy is related to the presence of allyl sulfide and small amounts of sulfur amino acids. These substances belong to glycosides, not only lowering blood lipids but also preventing atherosclerosis and protecting blood vessels. Moreover, it contains prostaglandin A which functions to dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure.
5. Garlic
The cholesterol-lowering effect of garlic is attributed to allicin, a substance found in garlic. This effective component of garlic has antibacterial and anti-tumor properties, helps prevent atherosclerosis, and reduces blood glucose and lipid levels.
6. Almonds
Almonds are cholesterol-free and contain only 7% saturated fatty acids. People with hyperlipidemia can consume 30g of almonds a day, which can replace foods high in saturated fatty acids.
7. Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum has lipid-lowering effects and a relatively stable blood pressure-lowering effect. Mixing a little chrysanthemum with green tea for the elderly has very good cardiovascular health benefits.
8. Eggs
Previously thought that eggs, with high cholesterol content, might lead to coronary heart disease when consumed in excess. It has been confirmed that eggs contain lecithin, which helps suspend cholesterol and fats in the blood rather than depositing them on blood vessel walls, effectively reducing lipid levels. It is advisable to consume one egg per day.
9. Soybeans
Rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, and lecithin. High cholesterol patients who consume 60-100g of soy protein per day can achieve improvement or recovery in around 90% of cases.
10. Fungi
Ganoderma, used alone or in combination with lipid-lowering drugs, can reduce serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein levels while increasing high-density lipoprotein levels. At the same time, it can reduce whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity, improve blood rheology disorders. Ganoderma’s hepatoprotective effect can prevent or reduce liver damage caused by chemically synthesized lipid-regulating drugs. Ganoderma’s lipid-lowering effect is the basis of its cardiovascular protection.
Mushrooms mainly include mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, straw mushrooms, and pleurotus, among other high-level fungi foods, which are high in protein, low in fat, and rich in natural vitamins, making them healthy foods. They have unique health benefits, especially shiitake mushrooms, which have a cholesterol-lowering effect, preventing lipid deposition on the arterial wall. Shiitake mushroom extract also has a blood pressure-lowering effect. Hypertensive patients can use fried shiitake mushroom water instead of tea.
11. Bitter Buckwheat Tea
Bitter buckwheat tea not only has the nutritional value of buckwheat but also unique health benefits. Buckwheat contains a special flavonoid called rutin, which can maintain the normal permeability and brittleness of blood vessel walls, soften blood vessels, and promotes wound healing, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy, antitussive, asthma calming, and lipid-lowering effects. Additionally, Yongsong bitter buckwheat tea contains a medicinal component, vitamin E, which has strong antioxidant effects, inhibiting and eliminating excess free radicals in the body, activating macrophages, eliminating skin pigment deposition, enhancing immune function, reducing side effects of anticancer drugs. Buckwheat’s dietary fiber promotes the excretion of toxins, lowers serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.
12. Fish
Fish have very low saturated fat content, especially deep-sea cold-water fish, rich in omega-3 fatty acids. According to U.S. scientists, individuals taking omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA supplements) experience a reduction in cholesterol, triglycerides, blood viscosity, and also have blood pressure-lowering effects.
13. Eggplant
Eggplant skin is rich in vitamin P, which significantly lowers blood lipids and cholesterol. Vitamin P can increase the elasticity of capillaries, improve microcirculation, promote blood circulation and have a significant blood circulation function. In addition, eggplant contains a large amount of saponin, which can also reduce cholesterol in the blood. Therefore, eggplant is an ideal food for patients with hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Eggplant’s breakdown products in the intestines can bind with excess cholesterol in the body, allowing it to be excreted.
14. Kelp
Reduces arterial lipid deposition, and the iodine and magnesium in kelp also play a role in preventing arterial lipid deposition.
15. Chili
Chili has the highest proportion of vitamin C among all foods. Vitamin C can improve microcirculation, reduce capillary fragility, and also lower cholesterol levels, making it a natural lipid-lowering food.
16. Cauliflower
There are white and green cauliflowers, with similar nutritional values. Cauliflower is low in calories, high in dietary fiber, rich in vitamins and minerals, making it a natural remedy. Cauliflower is rich in flavonoids. Flavonoids are excellent vascular cleansers, effectively removing cholesterol deposits in blood vessels and preventing platelet aggregation, reducing the incidence of heart disease.
17. Bitter Gourd
Bitter gourd, which is bitter and cool in nature, contains more bitter gourd saponins, which stimulate insulin release and have a significant blood sugar-lowering effect. Bitter gourd is rich in vitamin B1, vitamin C, and various minerals, which can regulate blood lipids, enhance immunity, and are known as the “vegetable insulin.”
18. Celery
In traditional Chinese medicine, celery is cool in nature. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, high in dietary fiber, which increases gastrointestinal peristalsis, has a good laxative effect, helps eliminate excess fat from the intestines, lowers cholesterol levels significantly, and can also reduce blood pressure.
19. Mung Bean Sprouts
Mung beans are already good foods for lowering cholesterol, and during the sprouting process, the vitamin C content can reach six to seven times that of the original green beans. Large amounts of vitamin C promote cholesterol excretion, prevent its deposition on arterial walls. The dietary fiber in mung bean sprouts helps remove toxins from the body, combines with cholesterol in food and converts it into bile acid to be excreted, thus lowering cholesterol levels. Mung bean sprouts are sweet and cool, rich in water and can help relieve thirst, making them essential for weight loss and lipid regulation.
20. Cucumber
Also known as cucumber, it comes in prickly cucumbers and smooth cucumbers. It has a cooling effect, relieves thirst, diuretic properties, and contains a large amount of dietary fiber, promoting the excretion of food residues from the intestines, reducing cholesterol absorption, inhibiting the conversion of sugars into fats, with special effects on weight loss and lipid metabolism regulation. People with hyperlipidemia and overweight can benefit from eating more cucumbers, which can lower blood lipids, blood pressure, and aid in weight loss. Cucumbers are also rich in potassium, accelerating blood metabolism, excreting excess salt from the body, beneficial for kidney inflammation and patients with cystitis recovery.
Summary: High blood lipids in a person can easily lead to diseases such as hyperlipidemia and heart disease. Therefore, it is important to control blood lipids well in daily life. If you indulge in excessive eating and drinking during this autumn, be sure to eat more of the foods mentioned above, as they can help better protect your health.
