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Reducing cholesterol: chocolate, red wine and nuts as antioxidants REDUCING CHOLESTEROL: CHOCOLATE, RED WINE AND NUTS AS ANTIOXIDANTS
Sweet news for chocoholics
If it makes you happy it can't be all bad; this is definitely the case with chocolate. Cocoa butter, which is present in chocolate, contains the saturated fat stearic acid. Even though it is a saturated fat, stearic acid does not raise LDL cholesterol; in fact it is converted into oleic acid in the liver. Oleic acid is a heart healthy monounsaturated fat present in high amounts in olive oil. I bet you didn't know that eating chocolate is another way of getting the benefits of olive oil!
10 heart saving tips you must follow
Chocolate is quite high in antioxidants; it contains approximately 300 natural compounds. One of the most potent groups of antioxidants found in chocolate are called phenols; these are also present in red wine. Phenols in cocoa can prevent LDL cholesterol from building up in arteries and causing plaques. They can also inhibit the oxidation of cholesterol for up to two hours after consumption. The moral of the story is unfortunately not to eat chocolate every two hours; high levels of sugar and vegetable oil in some chocolate are its downfall. The darker the chocolate the higher it is in antioxidants; the higher the percentage of cocoa solids the better. You are best off eating small amounts of good quality dark chocolate, composed of 70 to 85 percent cocoa solids.
Red wine to cheer your heart
Many studies have been done on the benefits of red wine for the heart. One of the antioxidants found in red wine is called resveratrol. It is a type of polyphenol and is present in grape skins. Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect cholesterol from oxidation, thus preventing it from doing harm to your arteries.
The polyphenols in red wine are also able to inhibit the production of endothelin-1; a type of protein that causes blood vessels to constrict and can make them more sticky, thus allowing fat and other substances to adhere to them and initiate atherosclerosis. Red wine is made from the flesh and skins of grapes, whereas white wine is only made from the flesh. It is the skins that give red wine its vibrant colour. An ideal consumption of red wine would be one glass with a meal for women, and two glasses with a meal for men most days. It is best to have three alcohol free days per week.
Go nuts
Raw nuts and seeds are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. Even though they are fairly high in fat, it is the good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Nuts and seeds are also an excellent source of fibre and minerals; they should form a regular part of your diet. Suitable nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, cashews, pine nuts and pistachios. Seeds include sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. Peanuts are actually a legume, like peas and beans, but nutritionally they have similar properties to tree nuts. Nuts and seeds should be consumed un-roasted and un-salted. The fatty acids they contain are easily damaged by the heat of roasting.
Several studies have shown that people who eat nuts every week have better health and suffer less heart disease than people who eat nuts less often. The Nurses Health study was conducted in Boston, USA and assessed more than 86 000 women aged 34-59 years who were free of heart disease. The study found that women who consumed at least 140 grams of nuts per week had a 35 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease than women who ate less than 30 grams per month. Nuts and seeds have the ability to lower LDL "bad" cholesterol because of the good fats they contain; walnuts are especially helpful because they contain omega 3 fats. Most nuts and seeds are also a good source of folic acid, vitamin E and potassium; all essential for a healthy heart.
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