Foods that lower cholesterol and blood pressure

High blood pressure and high cholesterol level are two risk factors for heart disease. You can keep your blood pressure and cholesterol level under control with proper diet. In this article, we will talk about nourishments that we can eat that help with the both.

Apples

High fiber diet is excellent for keeping cholesterol levels low. Apples are extremely rich in fibers, especially cellulose and pectin, which are considered as super fibers. Fibers prevent reabsorption of cholesterol in the colon. Furthermore, studies showed that one apple a day can lower bad cholesterol levels in the blood.

As well as many other fruits, apples are a rich source of antioxidants, especially flavonoids. That antioxidant can prevent oxidative damage in our arteries, caused by the free radicals.

Tomatoes

Potassium is a mineral that helps lowering blood pressure, and tomato is a vegetable that is rich in this nutrient. Scientists still don’t know how potassium exactly works. One of the assumptions on how potassium helps lowering the blood pressure suggests that this mineral the relaxes blood vessels and consequently, lowers the blood pressure. As well as tomato, bananas are a great source of potassium.

Tomato also has an ability to lower the cholesterol level. Many studies showed that eating tomatoes can lower your cholesterol level down to about 6% and bad cholesterol level even to approximately 13%.

Broccoli

Broccoli is another vegetable that lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. This plant is rich in I-3-C, a substance that stops production of the bad cholesterol in the liver. Furthermore, this substance prevents transportation of bad cholesterol through our body, and that is how it prevents the formation of the plaque and development of the cardiovascular problems.

In addition, broccoli plant leaves are the great source of antioxidant called glucoraphanin. This protects our blood vessels and heart against damage done by free radicals.

Fatty Fish

Some fish, such as salmon and tuna, are extremely rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Those fatty acids are well known for their ability to lower the blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol levels in the blood. Since Mediterranean cuisine consists mostly of fish, heart disease levels are lower than in western European countries and USA.

This fatty acid breaks down the cholesterol piled up in our arteries and considerably lowers the bad cholesterol level. Studies showed that high intake of the omega-3 increase the good cholesterol level. This means that omega-3 significantly protects us from cardiovascular diseases.

Not only that omega-3 reduces the bad cholesterol level and raises the good cholesterol level, but also, it lowers the blood pressure. This means that eating fatty fish is one of the greatest ways to keep your cardiovascular system and heart healthy.