Oats and dietary fiber and cholesterol
Oats and dietary fiber are a good way to combat high cholesterol levels in your body. High cholesterol is an increasing problem for people as they become more and more addicted to greasy fast food and processed foods like cookies and crackers and white bread. One of the leading causes of high cholesterol is fat that comes from animal products. These include meat, cheese, and whole milk.
High cholesterol levels commonly occur in people who are overweight, or who simply eat too much of the bad foods listed above. In general, the best foods to eat when worried about high cholesterol are natural foods. Natural foods are foods that come from the earth, the fresher the better.
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For example, if you had a choice between eating a cluster of fresh grapes or a glass of grape juice, the first choice would be your best option. Grape juice is high in sugar and most of the healthy elements of the grapes have been drained out of it. Whole grains are another source of natural foods. Foods high in fiber and complex carbohydrates will give you better energy and a cleaner, smoother-running body. You will sleep better, feel better, and have more motivation throughout the day.
Let us look at some of the ways in which oats and dietary fiber can help to prevent high cholesterol, and why they make a healthy lifestyle easier.
- Oats are high in water-soluble fiber. Water-soluble fiber is good for you; it is good for the prevention of high cholesterol. The bad cholesterol in your body is scientifically known as LDL, which stands for low density lipoprotein. When you eat oats they are like a slow-moving bus that travels through your system picking up bad cholesterol and driving it away.
- All doctors agree that a low-fat diet is an important factor in reducing cholesterol. But a low-fat diet does not stand all by itself. An important study has shown that people who eat at least two servings of oats a day shrink their cholesterol levels 2 to 3 percent more than those people who are relying on just the low-fat diet alone.
- Dietary fiber is found in foods that grow on plants. Nuts and grains, fruits and vegetables are high in dietary fiber. Dietary fibers, again, are water-soluble, so that they expand and grow mushy when you eat them, and help to carry off dangerous elements in your body.
- Oats and dietary fibers are low in fat. You can fill your diet with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, be full and energetic, and know that you are helping to fight the rise of cholesterol in your body.
- We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us; we learned it when we were children - "Eat your veggies!" Hearing something too often can dull its effectiveness. We all know that fast food and ice cream, when too much indulged in, are bad for us - but again, it's easy to forget it or give it less attention than it deserves when we hear it all the time.
It's important, therefore, to think specifically in terms of what good foods and bad foods are doing to us. More and more studies are showing that high levels of cholesterol will not just lead to low energy, depression, troubled sleep, and an inability to concentrate; they will kill us as well. They can cause stroke and paralysis without warning.
The good news is that oats and dietary fibers, which are available all around us, will definitely reduce our risk of heart disease and provide the energy and longevity needed for a happy life. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are delicious, affordable, and various enough to keep life both interesting and healthy.
