Cholesterol is one of the beneficial substances involved in metabolism. Cholesterol enters the body from animal products.
Cholesterol is a lipophilic alcohol that plays a role in the formation of cell membranes, in the synthesis of certain hormones and vitamins, and in other metabolic processes.
Cholesterol is necessary for the body, but its high content can lead to diseases of the cardiovascular system, in particular, atherosclerosis.
Cholesterol is transported throughout the body with the bloodstream by carriers: high and low density lipoproteins. Low-density lipoproteins are called "bad" cholesterol, and when they increase in the blood, the risk of cardiovascular disease increases significantly. Therefore, doctors strongly recommend reducing their level. However, a decrease in high-density lipoproteins increases the risk of heart disease.
The norm of cholesterol in the blood in healthy people is 5 mol / l and less. Cholesterol intake in healthy people should not exceed 300 mg per day, and in case of increased cholesterol content in the blood (hypercholesterolemia), no more than 200 mg per day.
General description of the scheme
The purpose of the high cholesterol diet is to reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol, prevent the development of pathology of the cardiovascular system, normalize the functioning of the kidneys and liver, activate metabolic processes andimprove blood circulation.
The diet should adhere to the principle of mechanical sparing, which has a beneficial effect not only on the digestive system, but also on the cardiovascular system.
The diet for hypercholesterolemia corresponds to the treatment table n°10 and n°10C.
The treatment table for hypercholesterolemia includes restriction of salt and fats (mainly of animal origin).
Characteristics of the table (per day):
- the energy value is 2190 - 2570 kcal;
- protein - 90 gr. , of which 55 - 60% of animal origin;
- fats 70 - 80 gr. , of which at least 30 gr. vegetable;
- carbohydrates no more than 300 gr. for overweight people and for people with normal body weight 350 gr.
Diet Basics
Diet
Fractional food, 5 times a day. This allows you to reduce food portions and suppresses hunger between meals.
Temperature
Food temperature is normal, there are no restrictions.
Salt
The amount of table salt is limited to 3 - 5 gr. , Food is prepared unsalted, if necessary, salted at the table. Salt causes water retention in the body, which increases the load on the cardiovascular system.
Liquid
The use of free liquid up to 1. 5 liters (discharge from the cardiovascular and urinary systems).
Alcohol
Alcohol should be avoided, especially strong alcohols. But doctors recommend (in the absence of contraindications) to take 50-70 ml of natural red wine in the evening, which contains flavonoids with antioxidant properties (so dry red wine protects the walls of blood vessels from the formationof atherosclerotic plaques). In addition, a strict smoking ban is imposed.
Weight
Obese and overweight people need to normalize their weight. Excess fat in the body is an additional source of "bad" cholesterol, and also complicates the work of the heart and blood vessels.
Foods rich in lipotropic substances and vitamins
It is necessary to favor fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins C and P, group B, potassium and magnesium salts. These vitamins protect the vascular walls thanks to the antioxidant action, and potassium and magnesium intervene in the cardiac rhythm.
Fats
Whenever possible, vegetable fats should be replaced as much as possible. Vegetable fats do not contain cholesterol, moreover, they are useful for the walls of blood vessels with a high content of vitamin E (antioxidant).
Foods prohibited in case of hypercholesterolemia
The list of prohibited foods for high cholesterol mainly includes animal fats - they are the source of "bad" cholesterol.
You should also refuse carbohydrates, which are easily digested, turning into fats and, accordingly, cholesterol.
You should not eat foods that activate and excite the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Food should be steamed, boiled or baked. Frying products are excluded, as low density lipoproteins and carcinogens are formed during the frying process. Almost all vegetables are eaten cooked, since the crude fiber in large quantities causes flatulence.
List of prohibited products:
- rich fresh bread, yeast and puff pastry products, pancakes, fried pies, pancakes, pasta of soft wheat varieties (contain easily digestible carbohydrates);
- high-fat whole milk, fatty cottage cheese, sour cream, cheeses;
- fried and boiled eggs (especially the yolk - a source of saturated fat);
- soups on a concentrated and fatty broth of fish and meat, mushroom broths;
- fatty meats (lamb, pork), poultry (duck, goose), chicken skin, in particular fries, sausages, sausages;
- fatty fish, caviar, salted fish, preserves, fried fish with margarine and solid fats;
- solid fats (lard, margarine, cooking oil);
- squid, shrimp;
- natural coffee brewed from beans (when brewing, fat comes out of the beans);
- vegetables, especially fried in solid fats (chips, fries, fried in soup) coconut and salted nuts;
- mayonnaise, sour cream and cream sauces;
- confectionery creams, chocolate, cocoa, cakes, ice creams.
Approved products
The foods recommended in a high cholesterol diet should contain a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids, which are sources of "good" cholesterol.
First of all, this applies to fish, which includes omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids. Fish is also a source of vitamin D.
A large amount of soluble fiber (oatmeal) increases the level of high density lipoproteins. Fresh vegetables and fruits contain large amounts of antioxidants that strengthen the vascular walls. There are also plenty of antioxidants (Vitamin E) in nuts.
A diet with high cholesterol is designed to normalize the ratio of high-grade (increasing) to low-grade (decreasing) lipoproteins.
List of authorized products:
- dry or yesterday's bread, made with wholemeal flour, bran bread, durum wheat pasta;
- vegetable oils in any quantity, except palm oil (fill salads with unrefined vegetable oil);
- vegetables: potatoes, cauliflower and white cabbage, carrots (eliminates toxins), lettuce (source of folic acid), pumpkin, zucchini, beets;
- lean meats and poultry (rabbit, skinless turkey and chicken, veal, lean beef);
- seafood: limited scallops, oysters, mussels and crabs;
- fish, especially sea fish, low-fat varieties (cooked and boiled): tuna, haddock, plaice, pollock, cod, hake;
- legumes as a source of vegetable protein;
- nuts (walnuts, peanuts) contain a large amount of phospholipids that reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol, are sources of vitamin E;
- onions and garlic, contain a lot of vitamin C, protect the vascular walls, remove lime deposits and fat from the body;
- oatmeal, cereals, puddings from other cereals (cereals should be cooked in diluted milk);
- low-fat milk, low-fat cottage cheese, sour cream, kefir, yogurt, low-fat and unsalted cheeses;
- juice, especially citrus (a lot of ascorbic acid, which strengthens the vascular wall);
- weakly brewed tea, coffee drink with milk, vegetable decoctions, rose hips, compotes;
- seasonings: pepper, mustard, spices, vinegar, lemon, horseradish.
The need for a diet
Compliance with the diet regulates the content of high and low density lipoproteins, thereby reducing the level of "bad" cholesterol.
The treatment table for hypercholesterolemia allows you to normalize its content without taking medication. In addition, in people who follow a diet, the vessels remain "clean" for a long time, blood circulation is not disturbed in them, which has a beneficial effect not only on the state of the cardiovascular system, but also on thecondition of the skin, nails and hair.
A large amount of antioxidants in foods recommended with high cholesterol slow down skin aging, prevent the development of pathologies of internal organs and increase vitality.
Consequences of not following the diet
Hypercholesterolemia in the blood is the first bell of atherosclerosis coming from the vessels.
With atherosclerosis, plaques form on the walls of blood vessels, which narrow the lumen of the arteries of the veins, which threatens not only the development of circulatory disorders throughout the body, but also such dangerous complications as thestroke and myocardial infarction. .
Also, hypercholesterolemia is one of the factors in the development of hypertension and cerebral atherosclerosis (memory disorders, visual disturbances, tinnitus, sleep disorders, dizziness).