What fruits help lower cholesterol levels?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is in the blood and provides many benefits to the body because it helps form healthy cells; however, when it is at a high level, it can damage the body.

Likewise, when a person has high cholesterol, it can cause fatty deposits to form in the lining of the arteries. There are two types of cholesterol: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or 'bad' cholesterol, and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) or 'good' cholesterol.

According to cardiologist Suzanne Steinbaum, cholesterol comes from two sources: the body (the liver and other cells produce about 75%) and food (25%).

Therefore, to prevent your health from being affected by bad cholesterol, it is important to take care of your diet, as the food you eat plays a significant role. In this context, we will indicate the fruits that will help you lower bad cholesterol levels.

Grapefruit

According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the vitamin C and flavonoids in grapefruit help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

Apple

According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, apples help reduce the amount of total and LDL cholesterol. Remember that this fruit is very healthy.

Oranges

Oranges are fruits that should not be missing from your diet. You can consume this food in juices, meals, and other presentations that will help you reduce bad cholesterol levels.

Strawberries

This fruit has a high content of fiber and antioxidants, nutrients that help speed up metabolism and prevent the accumulation of bad cholesterol in artery walls.

What are the symptoms of high cholesterol?

A person with high cholesterol does not show symptoms, but if you have family members who have it, it is better to regularly have a blood test.

What are the risk factors?

Although bad cholesterol does not have symptoms, it does have factors that can make you prone to having it. Here we tell you more about it.

• Eating a lot of saturated fat (fatty cuts of meat and full-fat dairy products) or trans fats.
• Having a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or more can make you prone to high cholesterol.
• Excessive smoking causes a decrease in the level of 'good' cholesterol in your body.
• After the age of 40, the liver removes 'bad' cholesterol less easily.

What diseases can you develop if you have high cholesterol?

A person with high cholesterol is susceptible to many illnesses, especially those related to the heart.

Stroke

Someone with high cholesterol can have a stroke because the buildup of plaque in the arteries of a person with high cholesterol can block blood flow to the brain and cause a stroke.

Heart attack

If platelets tear or break, they can cause a blood clot to form in the area of the tear, blocking blood flow and causing a heart attack.