Natural Drinks to Lower Cholesterol: A Culinary Guide

Millions of adults have total cholesterol levels above 200, which puts them at risk for heart disease and stroke. If you’re part of this group, lowering your cholesterol should be a priority. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and taking prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication can help. Additionally, certain beverages may provide a cholesterol-lowering boost. This article will provide information on these beverages and the science behind their effectiveness.

Understanding Cholesterol

Cholesterol is an essential, waxy substance that flows through the blood in your body. Despite its reputation, it is necessary for many bodily functions, such as forming cell membranes and producing bile, vitamin D, and hormones. 

The body is self-sufficient, producing all the necessary cholesterol without needing any dietary cholesterol. Unfortunately, too much cholesterol can be dangerous, leading to high blood pressure and increasing the risk of stroke or heart attack. To avoid this, one can lower cholesterol levels by exercising and eating a healthy diet, including drinks that naturally reduce cholesterol.

Having high cholesterol usually means elevated LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol levels. However, dietary modifications can help to reduce high LDL cholesterol levels.

For example, eating oats, avocados, fatty salmon, and nuts can be beneficial. Additionally, certain drinks can help to maintain or decrease cholesterol levels. It can be a convenient way to manage cholesterol levels.

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Best Natural Drinks to Lower Cholesterol

Drinks often contain components that are not commonly found in food. For example, drinking beverages with high cholesterol-lowering ingredients can be beneficial as they offer a tremendous amount of nutrition in a small serving.

Fibrous Smoothies

Adding fibre to your diet is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Soluble fibre helps reduce cholesterol levels in the bloodstream by preventing its absorption from food. 

To increase your fibre intake, add berries to your smoothie. Raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries are all excellent sources of fibre. In addition, research has revealed that blueberries can contribute to lowering LDL levels. Therefore, make sure to include fibre in your diet for optimal health. Spinach, Kale, and Cucumbers are also good sources of fibre and excellent ingredients for healthy smoothies.

Oat Based Beverages

Oats are an excellent source of soluble fibre, which can help reduce cholesterol. Research suggests that oat beverages, like oat milk, provide a more effective and sustained reduction of cholesterol due to their content of beta-glucans.

This soluble fibre inhibits cholesterol absorption and lowers cholesterol levels. Therefore, one can use oat drinks as a substitute for dairy products, which are high in fat. However, it is crucial to be mindful of the calorie count, for oat drinks usually contain between 90 and 120 calories per cup.

When choosing oat drinks, read the labels carefully to check for the presence of sugar and preservatives. You can, otherwise, always add rolled oats to your fruits and vegetable smoothies instead of full-fat dairy.

Plant-Based Smoothies

Enjoy a tasty and heart-healthy smoothie by blending plant-based milk, such as soy or oat milk, with bananas, plums, grapes, mangos, melons, and other fruits.

Plant-based milk contains components that help lower cholesterol, making this smoothie a great way to benefit your heart health while enjoying a delicious treat!

Green Tea

Green tea is less processed than other types of tea, allowing it to keep its beneficial natural properties. In addition, a study revealed that green tea contains catechins, antioxidants associated with decreased LDL and total cholesterol levels.

Read more: Does Green Tea Aid in Weight Loss? A Detailed Guide 

Nevertheless, it is essential to be careful when selecting green tea, as not all teas are equal. It is best to choose green tea with the least amount of processing to gain the most benefit.

Herbal Concoction

Our Kitchen provides various herbs and spices that help reduce cholesterol and improve overall health. Some examples are ginger, garlic, turmeric, peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, Curry leaves, mint, Basil, etc.

Boil 2-3 or more ingredients from above in water and enjoy one small cup of herbal tea daily once.

Soy Milk

Soy milk is a plant-based drink that contains a high amount of protein, equivalent to the amount of protein in cow’s milk, making it an excellent alternative for those looking to maintain their health.

The FDA recommends consuming 25 grams of soy protein daily to lower blood cholesterol levels by about 12%. Studies have demonstrated that soy protein can reduce LDL cholesterol by 4-6%.

Furthermore, since soy is low in saturated fat, switching from high-fat milk products to soy milk may help regulate cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Pomegranate Juice

Compared to other fruit juices such as blueberries, cranberries, and oranges, pomegranate juice contains more antioxidant catechins that can help reduce cholesterol levels. 

Read more: Pomegranate – Benefits, Nutrition Value, Uses, and More

Research has revealed that drinking pomegranate juice can help protect against various disease risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, oxidative stress, hyperglycemia, and inflammation. It is due to the juice’s high antioxidant content, which is almost three times higher than other drinks such as green tea. 

A study conducted on people with type II diabetes and hyperlipidemia even showed that consuming concentrated pomegranate juice decreased their total cholesterol levels.

Tomato Juice

Consuming tomato juice can lead to a decrease in cholesterol levels. 

A study showed that drinking 400ml (13.5 oz) of tomato juice daily reduced total cholesterol by 5.9% and LDL cholesterol by 12.9% compared to a group not consuming any tomato products.

Adding tomato juice to your diet can help reduce heart disease, cancer, ageing, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and other diseases. In addition, you can get the same cholesterol-lowering benefits from dishes like tomato basil soup or a glass of low-sodium tomato juice.

Coco Based Drinks

Cocoa contains flavanols, a compound that may help to reduce LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. As per research, dark chocolate, which is at least 70% cocoa, can help to improve heart health, blood pressure, and cognitive function.

However, most cocoa drinks have added sugars, which can negatively impact cardiovascular health and increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure. 

To benefit from cocoa without the added risks, choose cocoa powder (the raw form of cocoa) or beverages that contain at least 70-90% cocoa or raw cacao and No added sugar or little raw honey or maple syrup.

Satisfy your sweet tooth cravings and reduce your cholesterol at the same time by adding cocoa powder to smoothies or making hot cocoa with soy milk.

The HealthifyMe Note

Eating a balanced diet is an essential factor in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. In addition to the foods already listed, other juices may help lower cholesterol. Black and white teas may also assist in keeping cholesterol levels in check, though their effects may not be as strong as those of green tea. They can also help boost blood vessel function and reduce LDL levels. Including only Cholesterol lowering drinks daily won’t do enough. You must improve your overall lifestyle regarding nutrition, sleep cycle, activity and hydration.

Drinks to Avoid When You Have High Cholesterol

To maintain or improve healthy cholesterol levels, those wishing to drink alcohol should limit their consumption or quit alcohol.

People should also avoid drinks high in saturated fats, such as coffees or teas with cream, coconut or palm oils, ice-cream-based beverages, and high-fat milk products. Furthermore, they should reduce their sugary-drink intake, as these may reduce HDL levels and increase triglyceride levels.

Beverages to Avoid

• Coffees or teas with added cream, whipped cream, high-fat milk, or creamer
• Drinks or smoothies containing coconut or palm oils
• Pressed coconut drinks
• Ice-cream-based drinks
• High-fat milk products

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages to Avoid

• Fruit juices
• Sports drinks
• Energy drinks
• Soda or pop
• Sweetened coffees or teas
• Hot chocolate
• Prepackaged smoothies
• Chocolate or sweetened milk products

Other Ways to Lower High Cholesterol

To lower cholesterol levels, several lifestyle changes or habits can be beneficial. Some examples are given below.

• Limiting consumption of foods high in saturated fats (e.g. animal products, tropical oils, baked goods, fried foods, processed foods) 
• Limiting intake of foods high in sugar 
• Getting at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate to intense exercise per week 
• Eating healthful foods (e.g. fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats in moderation, nuts, pulses, vegetable oils, fat-free or low-fat dairy products) 
• Increasing fibre intake, quitting smoking, treating or managing type 2 diabetes, 
• Maintaining a healthy or moderate body weight and staying hydrated. 
• Doctors can also prescribe medications to help keep cholesterol levels healthy.

Conclusion

About 38% of adults in America are affected by high cholesterol levels, and it is crucial to take action to reduce them. High cholesterol can lead to severe cardiovascular problems, like heart attacks and strokes.

In addition, while we need some cholesterol for healthy digestion and hormone production, too much can be dangerous. 

Lifestyle and dietary changes are the best way to reduce cholesterol levels, and several drinks may help. Oat and soy drinks, tomato juice, green tea, and cocoa drinks are all potential sources of compounds that may help maintain cholesterol levels. Keeping cholesterol levels in check is vital for overall health, especially cardiovascular health.