You may have heard that walnuts lower cholesterol and are wondering what that's all about. You see, there is much misunderstanding surrounding the health benefits of walnuts as well as nuts in general. Because nuts are so high and fats, the connection between walnuts and cholesterol is confusing.

However, if you have high cholesterol then you need to be aware of the information in this article. One of the keys to bringing down high cholesterol levels is to add cholesterol lowering foods to your diet, and walnuts are one of the best. It is true that the high calorie content of walnuts can cause you to put on weight, so it is important that you use walnuts as a substitute for other foods, preferably those that are high in saturated fats.

There have been many studies conducted that have shown a substantial decrease in the risk of heart disease and those who consume at least five servings of walnuts a week. This benefit is realized due to the fact that walnuts are loaded in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and high levels of vitamins and minerals.

A wonderful, little known fact is that not only do walnuts lower cholesterol, but they also help lower blood pressure. The omega-3 fatty acids found in walnuts act as a blood thinner preventing blood clots and helping the blood flow more smoothly.

The connection between walnuts and cholesterol is due primarily to the cholesterol lowering qualities of fiber. Fiber has been shown to work against high cholesterol in two ways. First of all, cholesterol attaches itself to fiber in the intestines. This allows it to easily be eliminated from the body

Fiber also removes bile acids from the body which in turn stimulates the liver into producing more bile acid and guess what the liver uses for the production of bile acid. Cholesterol! Yes, a high fiber diet causes the liver to absorb cholesterol from the blood stream in order to produce bile acid.

Walnuts are a powerful superfood. Walnuts lower cholesterol and supply the essential fatty acids that are so important to heart health. One of the most effective cholesterol-lowering breakfasts you can eat is a bowl of oatmeal with crushed walnuts mixed in.

I invite you visit my website where I discussed this and many other cholesterol lowering foods and diets. The information you learned there will quickly put you on the road to a healthier heart without having to resort to cholesterol medication.


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For those individuals who are at all health conscious, how to lower cholesterol naturally is critically important. Even if you do not currently have high cholesterol, as you get older this may be an issue you will face. For those who are currently dealing with high cholesterol, nature itself has provided the safest and most effective way to bring down those high lipid readings.

You see, there are three powerful changes in your eating habits that you can easily make to give you a healthier heart.

The first thing you'll need to do is to cut out the high saturated fat foods that you consume. These include things like most cuts of beef and pork, especially foods like bacon. As a matter of fact it is best to totally eliminate beef and pork from your diet until you're cholesterol readings are in the acceptable range.

Only after those readings come down should you begin consuming the leanest cuts of beef and pork such as sirloin and tenderloin. The high-fat cuts of meat such as prime rib, as enjoyable as they may be, do not belong in the diet of individuals who are working to keep their cholesterol down.

The second change in your diet will require increasing the amounts of fruits and vegetables that you consume. The plant sterols and fiber contained in these foods are actually nature's "self regulating system" for cholesterol levels. Fiber helps eliminate high amounts of cholesterol in the system while plant sterols compete with cholesterol for absorption into the bloodstream.

Lastly, let's discuss snacking. For many individuals, snacking is a major downfall of their cholesterol-lowering efforts. If you are serious about lowering your cholesterol, it is important to keep healthy snacks on hand such as nuts and vegetables. Vegetables with a small amount of low-fat dip, or a handful of nuts make a very satisfying and effective cholesterol-lowering snack because of the amount of high fiber and nutrients that they contain.

Learning how to lower cholesterol naturally is the healthiest thing you can do for high cholesterol. In the long run this approach will improve your energy levels as well as your mental alertness, two things that taking cholesterol medication will never provide for you.

I invite you to visit my website where I discuss the best ways to develop these healthy, cholesterol lowering habits.



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If you are a health conscious individual, what do you do when you find out that you need to lower your cholesterol readings? Of course, you are going to look for a natural way to lower cholesterol. After all, why would you want to rely on putting drugs into your system as a solution to a health problem, when nature has already provided the best solution.

If you are serious about taking control of your health then you will find that a diet to lower cholesterol is the best way to go. Let's take a look at some of the foods that this diet will need to emphasize.

The best natural way to lower cholesterol is going to involve reducing the amounts of saturated fat in your diet, especially beef and pork and at the same time substantially increasing the amounts of high fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These are the types of foods that nature has provided for reducing high cholesterol.

The primary reason they are so effective is because of the high amounts of fiber that they contain. If we all ate a high fiber diet that is rich in these nutritious foods, the rate of obesity and cholesterol problems in North America would be greatly reduced.

What happens when we eat a high fiber diet is that the cholesterol in our intestines attaches itself to the fiber so that it is eliminated from the body. In so doing, it also stimulates the liver into absorbing more cholesterol. This two edged sword has incredible benefits for the cardiovascular system.

Another great thing about fruits and vegetables is that they contain high amounts of plant sterols. Plant sterols are naturally occurring substances found in all plants that are very similar to cholesterol and seems to compete with cholesterol for absorption into the body.

The highest amounts of plant sterols are found in vegetables including brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli.

These are the types of food that provide the best natural way to lower cholesterol. I encourage you to visit my website where I discuss these and other natural ways to reducing high cholesterol.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Van_Crawford