Overview of Foods for Lowering Cholesterol and Losing Weight: Summary of the Cholesterol-Lowering Effects of Whole Grains

Overview of foods that lower cholesterol and promote weight loss

With modern lifestyles, the number of patients with simple obesity, hyperlipidemia, and fatty liver is increasing. A reasonable dietary structure is an important measure to maintain lipid metabolism balance. Its general principle is "four lows and one high," namely, a low-calorie, low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-sugar, and high-fiber diet.

The following is a summary of the main lipid-lowering and weight-loss foods covered in the book, categorized for readers' reference.

corn

It is neutral in nature and sweet in taste, and has the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach, lowering blood lipids and blood sugar, resisting arteriosclerosis, and preventing cancer. It is suitable for those with weak spleen and stomach, fatty liver, diabetes, etc.

Modern research shows that the abundant calcium, magnesium, selenium and other inorganic salts, as well as lecithin, linoleic acid and vitamin E contained in corn, all have the effect of lowering cholesterol, and their synergistic effect is even greater.

The near absence of primary hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and coronary heart disease among Central American Indians is mainly attributed to their staple diet of maize.

Corn not only has a good effect on lowering blood sugar and blood pressure, but also a good effect on lowering blood lipids. Corn oil extracted from corn is an oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids and is an inhibitor of cholesterol absorption, similar to the effects of peanut oil, soybean oil, and sesame oil.

Long-term consumption of corn oil can lower blood cholesterol and soften arteries. Corn oil is also very high in vitamin E, making it an ideal cooking oil for people with fatty liver, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, primary hypertension, obesity, and the elderly.

Preventing and treating modern diseases such as fatty liver and hyperlipidemia is a long-term task. Foods like corn should be consumed in moderation and consistently. However, aflatoxin produced when corn becomes moldy has strong carcinogenic activity and should never be consumed.

buckwheat

It is cool in nature and sweet in taste, and has the effects of stimulating appetite and digestion, relieving bloating and indigestion, eliminating irritability and dampness, and clearing heat and detoxifying. It is suitable for hyperlipidemia, constipation, abdominal distension and pain, diarrhea, dysentery, leukorrhea, carbuncles, erysipelas, burns, and other ailments.

Modern research shows that buckwheat noodles contain a large amount of flavonoids, especially rutin, which can lower blood lipids, dilate coronary arteries, and increase coronary blood flow.

Buckwheat flour is rich in vitamin PP, which has a significant effect on lowering total plasma cholesterol and triglycerides. However, buckwheat should not be eaten in excess at one time to avoid indigestion. It is not suitable for people with weak spleen and stomach.

oat

It is warm in nature and sweet in taste, and has the effects of tonifying deficiency and stopping sweating. It is suitable for diabetes, hyperlipidemia, weakness and fatigue after illness, loss of appetite, constipation, and prolonged labor in pregnant women.

Modern research shows that oats are extremely rich in linoleic acid, accounting for 35% to 52% of all unsaturated fatty acids. Oats are also rich in vitamin E, and the glycosides in oats can lower the concentration of plasma cholesterol.

American scientists have discovered that oats and barley contain a natural substance called tocotrienol, which can control the activity of enzymes related to cholesterol synthesis, thereby reducing cholesterol synthesis and breaking down cholesterol into bile acids for excretion.

This tocotrienol not only significantly lowers cholesterol levels in the body but also has no adverse effects. Scientists suggest that consuming 100 grams of oat bran daily can not only lower plasma cholesterol but also reduce blood sugar levels similar to insulin injections, thus helping to prevent and manage diabetes.

Clinical observations have shown that oats have a significant effect on reducing plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, and β-lipoprotein, and can increase plasma high-density lipoprotein. They have a good therapeutic effect on both primary and secondary hyperlipidemia, and have a good lipid-lowering and anti-fatty liver effect.

Some scholars have reported that feeding rabbits a high-fat diet with oat flour can significantly inhibit the rise of blood lipids and significantly reduce lipid deposition in the liver. They also observed that consuming oat flour in humans and rats reduced the levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in their livers, with average decreases of 36.9% and 13%, respectively.

Oatmeal reduces lipids in the liver without significantly affecting liver weight, and its lipid-lowering effect may be related to its content of unsaturated linoleic acid. Further experiments showed that oat extract and its powdered form inhibited the increase of triglyceride and cholesterol content in the liver of hyperlipidemic mice, while oat starch had no inhibitory effect.

wheat bran

It is neutral in nature and has a sweet and bitter taste. It has the effects of promoting bowel movement, stimulating appetite, relieving flatulence, and eliminating food stagnation. It is suitable for patients with fatty liver, hyperlipidemia, obesity, etc. Modern research shows that wheat bran is rich in nutrients and is a high-fiber food. Increasing high-fiber foods in the diet will increase gastrointestinal motility, which can increase fat excretion, improve bowel habits, and increase stool volume.

Job's tears

It has a sweet and bland taste, and is slightly cold in nature. It has the effects of promoting diuresis and reducing swelling, strengthening the spleen and eliminating dampness, clearing heat and draining pus, and dispelling wind and dampness. The Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica states that "long-term use can lighten the body and benefit qi." The Mingyi Bielu states that coix seed "eliminates edema and improves appetite." Therefore, the body-lightening effect of coix seed may be achieved through the elimination of dampness.

sweet potato

Sweet potatoes are neutral in nature and sweet in taste, and have the effects of tonifying the spleen and stomach, detoxifying and reducing swelling. Sweet potatoes can provide the human body with a mixture of polysaccharides and proteins, which can maintain the elasticity of human arteries. Therefore, eating sweet potatoes regularly can prevent fat deposition in the cardiovascular system, prevent arteriosclerosis, reduce subcutaneous fat, and avoid excessive obesity.

It can neutralize the acid produced in the body from excessive consumption of meat and eggs, maintaining the acid-base balance of the blood plasma. Sweet potatoes contain a lot of fiber, which can absorb more water in the gastrointestinal tract, lubricate the digestive tract, promote bowel movements, and expel excess fat, carbohydrates, and toxins from the intestines, thus lowering blood lipids.

Konjac

It is cold in nature, pungent in taste, and poisonous. It has the effects of resolving phlegm and dispersing stagnation, promoting blood circulation and reducing swelling, detoxifying and fighting cancer. It is suitable for cough, food stagnation, malaria, amenorrhea, traumatic injuries, carbuncles, boils, erysipelas, burns, cervical lymph node tuberculosis, snake bites, tumors, etc.

Modern research shows that glucomannan in konjac has the property of absorbing water and swelling, so eating just a small amount of konjac can make a person feel full. Glucomannan can inhibit the absorption of excess cholesterol from the diet, thus preventing cardiovascular disease and reducing the potential harm of arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure.

West China Medical University conducted a study on the effects of konjac food on lipid metabolism and found that after eating konjac food for 45 days, serum triglycerides and cholesterol levels in people with hyperlipidemia decreased significantly, while high-density lipoprotein increased.

Experiments have shown that konjac flour and alginate have anti-fatty liver effects, with konjac flour showing a more significant effect.

The entire konjac plant is poisonous, with the root and stem being the most toxic. Therefore, it must be processed before consumption and should not be eaten in large quantities.