What to eat in high cholesterol, what not to eat.

If cholesterol is too high, there are no symptoms. But symptoms like sweating, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite may occur.

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Nushrat Jahan, food and nutrition expert at Ibn Sina Diagnostic and Consultation Center, explains how to understand high cholesterol and what to eat and what not to eat.

Good health is the root of happiness. Various problems stand in the way of this good health. One of them is high cholesterol.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a type of fat present in every tissue of the animal body, which is necessary for physiological functions. Cholesterol combines with human blood proteins to form lipoproteins and circulates in the blood. Apart from this, cholesterol acts as a precursor to various steroid-like substances in our body. Excess cholesterol in the body can be dangerous for the body.

Types of Cholesterol:

There are 2 types of cholesterol. LDL and HDL.

HDL stands for High Density Lipoprotein that means high density lipoprotein is beneficial for the body. This cholesterol maintains the fluidity of our cell membranes, makes bile, plays a role in making some important hormones.

LDL stands for low density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol. It accumulates in the blood vessels and narrows the blood vessels causing obstruction to blood flow. As a result, the risk of heart disease and stroke increases.

If the amount of lipoprotein i.e. fat in the blood is high, it is called high cholesterol. High cholesterol increases the risk of death. It can cause various heart diseases. A diet high in fat, being overweight, and an inactive physical lifestyle are important among the various causes of high cholesterol.

Nushrat Jahan said that a healthy person needs 200 to 300 mg of cholesterol per day. But if someone has heart disease, then definitely more than 200 mg of cholesterol is harmful for him.

Symptoms of high cholesterol:

If cholesterol is too high, there are no symptoms. But symptoms like sweating, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite may occur. In addition, there may be wax-like deposits of yellowish fat above and below the eyes. Apart from this, if someone goes to the stage of heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis, then pain on the left side of the chest, increased pressure, or pain in the legs may appear.

What to eat, what not to eat:

It is important to change the diet to avoid high cholesterol. If one's cholesterol level is elevated, one should avoid foods rich in saturated fat such as beef, pork, large shrimp, and excess oil and fat.
If one's cholesterol level is elevated, one should avoid foods rich in saturated fat such as beef, pork, large shrimp, and excess oil and fat.

Apart from this, processed food, junk food should be consumed in moderation.

Also, Omega 3 foods such as walnuts, hilsa, fiber foods such as vegetables, dates, apples, grain foods such as oats, red flour bread, barley, red rice should be eaten. They help in reducing blood cholesterol levels.

Moreover, exercise and physical activity can lower cholesterol levels. Physical activity helps increase HDL cholesterol or 'good cholesterol'. So exercise or walk at least 5 days a week for 30 minutes.

Data source: Daily Star