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You’d have most likely came across good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, and how bad cholesterol can have an adverse effect on your heart. With certain high cholesterol foods currently been regarded as good while others are bad, trying to figure out which high cholesterol foods are actually good for your heart can be a challenge! How good and bad cholesterols are different from one another? From the scientific point of view, let’s examine the difference in the way your body processes both types of cholesterols: 1. Good cholesterol or High-density lipoprotein (HDL). This type of cholesterol performs a kind of “recycling” process on unwanted cholesterol totally, taking the unwanted ones back to the liver to be got rid of. It can also assist to remove cholesterol sticking to the inner walls of the arteries. 2. Bad cholesterol or Low-density lipoprotein (LDL). This type of cholesterol is normally deposited on the walls of the arteries. Over time, the deposits increase and causing the arteries to become narrower and ultimately block the blood flow to the vital organs of the body, especially the heart. Foods with both saturated and trans fats are generally high in LDL. Food containing good cholesterol Since, you now know the difference between the two types of cholesterols, it’s good to also know the types of foods that have good cholesterol. This is so that you can eat more of those with good cholesterol and cut down those without. To make it easier to identify those foods, jolt down the main components of good cholesterol: 1. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs). These fats form the main component of good cholesterol and are found mainly in fruits, nuts and wheat products. 2. Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). These fats are also largely found in good cholesterol foods such as corn and sunflower products as well as fish oils. Fish oils are generally rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are significant to increasing your HDL to LDL ratio. Foods with the best sources of MUFAs, PUFAs and omega-3 fatty acids to maintain a healthy heart: 1. Avocado was previously thought to be too rich in cholesterol. But, that was before people came to know of its rich source of HDL cholesterol that works wonder against bad cholesterol. 2. Olive oil, peanut oil and canola oil are also excellent sources of HDL cholesterol that are friendly to your heart. You can feel a significant improvement in your heart health when you use them as cooking oil. 3. Almond is, perhaps, the best source of HDL cholesterol among all the nuts you find today. Substituting unhealthy snacks, such as chips or crackers with a fistful of unsalted, raw almonds can significantly improve your heart health. 4. Prawn is another food that gets a bad reputation due to the presence of some amount of LDL. Nevertheless, it has sufficient HDL to negate its negative effects due to its inherently occurring fish oils. Salmon and tuna fishes found in certain part of the sea are noted for their excellent sources of HDL cholesterol. 5. Eggs are also excellent source of HDL cholesterol. Not only that, but they also contain a multitude of other nutrients beneficial for your body. This is surely one of those foods you can eat every day in whichever way you like. Other benefits of HDL Cholesterol Foods You might be delighted to learn that the foods as stated above can also help you: - increase in your memory power; - increase your energy, stamina and endurance levels; and - optimize your health and well-being. Now, you’re likely to feel glad to learn that not all of those HDL cholesterol foods you’ve been consuming are really bad for your health! In fact, some of those mentioned above, are very good for your health, especially when taken in moderation. In conclusion, HDL cholesterol foods protect your heart against developing heart disease by combating the bad effects of LDL cholesterol. Since you’re now aware of the facts, you don’t need to restrict your diets to only low cholesterol foods but you can also consume high cholesterol foods as long as they’re high in HDL. Click Here to find out more information on Healthy Eating and other awesome Health & Fitness tips.
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good cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, HDL, bad cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, LDL, high cholesterol foods, monounsaturated fats, MUFAs,
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