High cholesterol is a common disease that, unfortunately, people do not realize for a long time. Especially people who are within the normal weight range and are confident about their physical health, keep this problem away from themselves. But it is good to know that being overweight is only one of the factors that cause high cholesterol, and only a blood test can determine the presence or absence of this problem. Factors that increase cholesterol levels in the body include:
Improper diet
Continuous eating of saturated fats such as oils and animal products, due to the significant amounts of these fats, leads to an increase in cholesterol levels in the blood.
Obesity
If your body mass index (BMI) is higher than 30, you are at risk of high cholesterol and it is better to make changes in your lifestyle.
Inactivity
Exercising is one of the best ways to reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL) in your body. Naturally, inactivity and sitting still work completely opposite to this.
Cigarettes
Smoking and tobacco use in general damage the walls of blood vessels, causing fatty acids to accumulate in these areas and increasing the level of bad cholesterol. Smoking also reduces the level of good cholesterol (HDL) in the body.
Diabetes
High blood sugar damages the lining of blood vessels, and high blood sugar is directly related to increased levels of dangerous cholesterol (VLDL).
Age
Since changes occur in the chemical composition of the blood with age, the risk of increased cholesterol also increases. For example, with age, the liver’s ability to remove bad cholesterol (LDL) decreases.
In the process of preventing and treating high cholesterol, a proper diet, especially vegetarian diets, plays a very important role. Especially since it is also one of the easiest and cheapest methods.
As a first step, you should try to reduce the consumption of saturated fatty acids in your diet as much as possible and use unsaturated oils instead. One of the best options in this regard is sesame oil. Because sesame is one of the oil seeds rich in unsaturated fatty acids, and one of its numerous properties is reducing bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol in the body. Sesame seeds seem to be able to reduce blood cholesterol levels due to their sesamin and fiber content. Research has shown that sesamin (a type of lignan) can prevent cholesterol from being absorbed by the small intestine. Also, foods that contain soluble fiber can gradually reduce LDL levels by preventing cholesterol from being absorbed in the intestine.
In addition to using sesame oil, you can also use sesame seeds themselves in any meal. Many people use sesame seeds and their products as a nutritious breakfast, a healthy snack, and some also use them in a variety of dishes and salads. By modifying your diet, you will take a big step towards your physical health, and reducing bad cholesterol in the blood is just one of its benefits.