Russia (bbabo.net), - A plant-based, low-fat diet can lower cholesterol levels by almost a third. This conclusion was reached by the Physicians Commission for Responsible Medicine (USA) in collaboration with George Washington University and Keio University in Japan.

Cholesterol is an organic fat-like substance synthesized in the liver. It also enters the body with food of animal origin and circulates in the blood as two compounds - high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The first is "good" cholesterol, since it collects cholesterol from the walls of blood vessels and brings it to the liver, the second is "bad", since it transports cholesterol from the liver to the arteries, forming "blockages" - atherosclerotic plaques.

Consumption of foods high in animal fats - eggs, meat, dairy products - can provoke an increase in LDL in the blood, while plant foods have the opposite effect. After analyzing 49 studies of the best cholesterol-lowering diet, doctors found that eating mostly plant-based foods typically lowers cholesterol by 15-30%.

If the patient introduces certain foods into the diet, then the maximum effect can be achieved within four weeks. We are talking about oats, barley, legumes, as well as soy protein, nuts, wheat germ, wheat bran, almonds and Brussels sprouts, say scientists from the University of Toronto. For the best effect, such a diet should be combined with physical activity, which will help not only lower cholesterol, but also support heart function, writes Express.

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