With a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle can alleviate many symptoms blood pressure or elevated cholesterol. Thank illness or physical complaints can be counteracted by a specific diet or a particular food choice. In some cases this can obviate the administration of medications, delay or reduce the dose.

Dietary cholesterol

Cholesterol is found only in foods of animal origin. The cholesterol content of foods can vary. Every day you should take a maximum of 300 mg of dietary cholesterol. The amount of cholesterol in the body is always dependent on:

• The intake of cholesterol in the diet
• Of the fat intake in general
• The age
• Sex.

Possible causes of elevated cholesterol

For high blood fat levels are quite different factors as causes. This can be for example:

• Obesity and high fat diet
• Lipid disorders
• Diabetes mellitus
• hypothyroidism
• Liver, kidney and gall bladder
• Family of origin (in spite of normal weight and low-fat diet)
• Sugar, tobacco, coffee, drugs such as hormonal contraceptives, for example, cortisol, or diuretics as favoring a high cholesterol level.

First steps to lower cholesterol

• Eating apples, grated on top: Apples contain pectin, it binds the bile acids in the intestine. The body therefore needs a new cholesterol from the blood to form bile acids and therefore decreases the blood lipid values.
• 1 glass of wine per day works from alcohol in small amounts is beneficial for the blood lipids: Just a glass of red or white wine or bottle of beer with your meal increases the beneficial HDL cholesterol, the antagonist of the LDL.
• 20g of walnuts per day: They contain many polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have a favorable effect on cholesterol levels, but they are also very high in calories.

General tips to lower cholesterol

Have increased both the body and the cholesterol levels; a long-term weight loss should be sought. But when shopping and preparing meals can be cholesterol-steps:

• Suitable margarine should be imprinted with "marked to be rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
• In sweets, chocolate, puddings, biscuits, ready meals, crisps, flips, etc. are hidden fats.
• In general: more vegetable oils (rapeseed oil, olive oil) and the occasional high-fat fish. Eat less meat and sausage, biscuits or sweets.
• Stay away from especially cholesterol-rich foods such as offal, eggs, shellfish and crustaceans.
• Grilling, steaming in foil and cook in coated pans contribute to fat savings.
• Do you prefer safflower oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil and wheat germ oil, containing polyunsaturated fatty acids and olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, with its monounsaturated fatty acids.
• Eat more whole grains, potatoes, legumes, vegetables and fruit for high fiber content in the diet lowers cholesterol.

Foods can increase cholesterol levels

Animal foods such as meat, eggs, cheese and sausage, as well as animal fats such as butter and lard provide plenty of saturated fat. These animal fatty acids promote a high blood cholesterol levels. Chemically, it contains hydrogenated fats and Tran’s fats should also be avoided. They are contained mainly in processed foods, margarines, and frying oils and cheap. In the list of ingredients as they are hardened vegetable oils, partially hydrogenated or listed.

Foods that can lower cholesterol

Oat products, legumes and pectin fruits (apples, pears, berries) proven to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Single-or polyunsaturated fats can lower cholesterol levels if taken simultaneously less saturated fatty acids in the diet are. Rich in monounsaturated fat include olive oil and canola oil. Polyunsaturated fats are found in nuts (especially walnuts), legumes (especially soybeans), and Cereal, safflower, canola and soybean oil. When omega-3 fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids that are located mainly in salmon, mackerel, tuna and herring. You can prevent vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis.

Certain amino acids such as arginine, taurine and carnitine, which are contained in almonds and walnuts, for example, cholesterol levels can reduce the LDL levels in particular. Glycine converts cholesterol into bile acids at this is excreted through the intestines and liver, the body's own cholesterol production increases. The cholesterol level in blood drops.

Policosanol is part of the wax layer of plants. Especially abundant, they occur in seedlings of cereals such as wheat, oats, rye, barley, rice and maize. They act reduce cholesterol. Also wheat grass juice can reduce cholesterol effect. Its cholesterol-modifying effects relate mainly to the reduction of LDL and increase HDL cholesterol.