Lowering Cholesterol Levels Is As Easy As Adjusting What You Consume For Breakfast

It is becoming more and more typical for people to obtain the news from their doctor that their cholesterol level is high. It is unfortunate, but with our current diets and lifestyles, high cholesterol is nearly inevitable. And so, now that you have the bad news you will want to learn about how to reduce LDL cholesterol. Unless you have very high levels, an efficient and simple approach to lower your cholesterol quickly is simply by fine-tuning the foods you eat. One of the best changes you can make is dependant on what you put in your breakfast bowl.

Oatmeal, whether it's steel cut oats or perhaps instant oatmeal, is a whole grain. The nutrients you receive in whole grains are removed when the grain is milled or processed. These nutrients, including a type of soluble fiber known as beta-glucan, are incredibly crucial in regards to lowering your cholesterol.

The question is then, how does oatmeal reduce cholesterol? Beta-glucan essentially behaves as a sponge and soaks up bile acid and removes it as waste. This is often good news because your body will then go to work and will start creating more bile acids. One of the building blocks of bile acid is LDL cholesterol (the 'bad' cholesterol). So, as the body makes more and more bile acid to make up for what was excreted as waste, LDL cholesterol is used up and your ldl cholesterol level falls.

To see significant benefits from eating oatmeal the FDA recommends that you consume a minimum of 3 grams of beta-glucan each day. This may be achieved with simply one serving of steel cut oats or two servings of quick-cooking oatmeal. If you don't possess the time to make steel cut oats every day (preparation can take as much as 30 minutes), you can consume two packets of instant oatmeal with a bit of oat bran to get your 3 grams of beta-glucan.

How much can your cholesterol level drop by just eating oatmeal? A recent study at the University of California saw a drop in LDL cholesterol of 17% spanning a six week period. For individuals who just have moderately high cholesterol levels this might be enough to get them back to a decent level. Therefore, by just modifying what you put in your breakfast bowl every morning there's a chance you're able to manage your high cholesterol levels.

Although there are actually several foods that have been found to help control cholesterol, oatmeal seems to be the best option. For reasonable serving sizes you can lower the amount of LDL to a healthy level. If you are not used to the taste of oatmeal, you are able to improve the flavor with the help of several various toppings. A number of these toppings include honey, almonds, strawberries, and peanut butter.