Your choice of breakfast can help lower your cholesterol levels, according to experts.
High cholesterol is an insidious condition that you may not be aware of until it results in some pretty serious health complications as there tend to be no obvious symptoms.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is made in the liver as ell as being found in a number of foods.
It is vital to have some cholesterol in our bodies to keep healthy but too much can be dangerous, clogging arteries and causing health problems such as heart disease or strokes.
However, there may be some very simple steps you can take to make sure your levels remain at a healthy rate - reports The Express.
Including what you eat for your brekkie...
According to Healthline, breakfast ideas to help lower your cholesterol include:
- Oatmeal
- Almond milk
- Avocado toast
- Egg white scramble with spinach
- Whey protein smoothie
- Smoked salmon on a whole-wheat bread.
Oatmeal contains soluble fibre, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol.
Soluble fibre can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream.
According to Cleveland Clinic, eating just one and one-half cups of cooked oatmeal a day can lower your cholesterol by 5 to 8 per cent.
Whey protein, which is found in dairy products, may account for many of the health benefits attributed to dairy.
Studies have shown that whey protein given as a supplement lowered both LDL and total cholesterol as well as blood pressure.
On top of lowering your cholesterol it can also help you build muscle.
Researchers from The Pennsylvania State University described “bad” cholesterol levels as both oxidised low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and small, dense LDL particles.
They found that eating one avocado daily was linked to lower levels of the “bad” fatty substance in overweight or obese adults.
The researchers looked at 45 participants, who followed a two-week “run-in” diet at the beginning of the study.
After this initial five weeks, each participant completed five weeks of three different treatment diets - a low-fat, moderate-fat or high-fat diet.
And the moderate-fat diet included a daily serving of avocado.
After five weeks of the avocado diet, participants had “significantly” lower levels of oxidised “bad” cholesterol.
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