From time to time, it is a good habit to check our metabolic parameters by submitting to blood tests. Unfortunately, however, we may also discover that we have too high levels of cholesterol, triglycerides or blood sugar. It is a pathological situation much more widespread than one would think and moreover, it is absolutely not to be underestimated. But let’s see together how to quickly get out of this uncomfortable situation.
First of all, the first thing to do is to seek advice from your doctor, then you need to understand what are the causes that have brought our parameters beyond the recommended limits. The first thought immediately goes to a genetic predisposition, but our way of life should not be underestimated. A poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, as well as advanced age, can act negatively on our metabolism, altering its delicate balance. Cholesterol is a fundamental substance in our body, as it performs multiple functions.
In addition, it is a component of cell membranes and a necessary element for the synthesis of various hormones such as testosterone, estrogen and cortisol. Do you think that given its importance and its extraordinary abilities, our body is able to produce it on its own but also manages to obtain it from food, if we want to make an estimate we can say that normally 70% is from our production while 30% comes from food.
There are foods capable of lowering and therefore regulating the level of cholesterol in the blood. The most powerful food, from this point of view, is garlic. Its secret weapon is called allicin, the latter being a molecule capable of fighting bacteria, viruses and fungi. Moreover, it also manages to have a great impact on reducing recovery times, for example when you fall ill with the flu or a cold. Finally, here’s a little advice: it’s better to eat it raw, because this molecule in particular fears heat and if it is cooked, it could lose a large part of its capacity.
Lemon is one of the most used foods in Italian cuisine, it contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is ideal for increasing the levels of good cholesterol and for reducing those of bad cholesterol, in addition, we remember its extraordinary ability to strengthen the immune defenses, also facilitating digestion. Green leafy vegetables also help greatly in regulating blood cholesterol levels. For example: spinach, cabbage, chard and many others. Their green leaves contain several vitamins, among which we find vitamin A, K and C.