Myth: Coconut oil is a heart-healthy cooking alternative.
The reality: Coconut oil has been shown to raise cholesterol levels — the good and the bad kinds — more than other plant-based oils like olive or canola. And in truth, medium-chain triglycerides make up only a small amount of the fatty acids in coconut oil.
However, foods high in saturated and trans fats trigger the liver to produce more cholesterol. It's also important to consider the saturated fats in oils since they can cause cholesterol build-up. For example, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil contain saturated fat that can increase so-called “bad” cholesterol.
Heart-healthy oils like canola, corn, olive, peanut, and sunflower oils contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They help to lower harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and raise healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
Regardless of the type, olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, containing about 75% by volume. When substituted for saturated fat, monounsaturated fats help lower your "bad" LDL cholesterol. The health benefits of olive oil have been attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Soluble fiber is found in such foods as oatmeal, kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Add whey protein. Whey protein, which is found in dairy products, may account for many of the health benefits attributed to dairy.
Avocados. Avocados are a potent source of nutrients as well as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Research suggests that adding an avocado a day to a heart-healthy diet can help improve LDL cholesterol levels in people who are overweight or obese.
Canola oil has zero cholesterol. High oleic canola oil has a high smoke point of 475 deg F, while refined canola oil's smoke point is 400.
Fish oil is not an effective treatment for high cholesterol. In some cases, the DHA in fish oil appears to raise LDL cholesterol. As a result, people who are concerned about elevated cholesterol should not rely on it.
7. Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits. These fruits are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that lowers LDL.
Monounsaturated Fats
According to MayoClinic.com, consuming MUFAs improves your blood cholesterol levels, reduces your risk of heart disease and may help stabilize blood sugar levels. Foods high in monounsaturated fats include olive, canola, sunflower and sesame oils, avocados, pecans, almonds, salmon and herring.
The healthiest oils are those that are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as vegetable oil and olive oil. These types of fats can help lower your risk of heart disease when used instead of saturated fats.
Trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. These changes are associated with a higher risk of heart disease. Trans fats are found in many fried foods. Baked goods, such as pastries, pizza dough, pie crust, cookies and crackers also can contain trans fats.
Trans fats contribute to clogged arteries which are a sign of heart disease; they increase your risk of both heart attack and stroke. Oils with trans fat are found in margarine or vegetable shortening.
The oils which should be avoided for cooking are oils like soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, and safflower. These oils have unstable fats and will decimate the nutritional properties of your food. Oh, and they'll give you a big fat health risk in the meantime.
Choose plant-based oils rich in unsaturated fat.
The heart association suggests the following cooking oils, which meet its health standards: canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean and sunflower, as well as specialty oils like avocado, grape-seed and sesame.
Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Niacin, a form of vitamin B3 also called nicotinic acid, is used to lower cholesterol. It appears that niacin lowers bad cholesterol and triglycerides (another form of fat), while raising good cholesterol, also known as high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
The fiber and potassium in bananas can reduce the level of cholesterol and blood pressure. Banana is especially known as a good source of soluble fibre which will gives one a healthy body and good immune system.
Successfully maintaining a ratio of 4:1 to 1:1 omega 6 to omega 3 will help lower cholesterol levels and control high blood pressure. How much omega 3 do you need to add? This is under debate and more research is being done. Right now the range experts recommend is from 500-2000 mg/day.
In conclusion, both dietary fats in the form of canola oil or sunflower oil effectively reduce the serum cholesterol, LDL-C concentration and triglyceride concentration. An increase in serum concentrations of HDL-C occurred in both diets.
Although care must be taken in handling and processing of canola oil and other vegetable oils, canola oil is a safe and healthy form of fat that will reduce blood LDL cholesterol levels and heart disease risk compared to carbohydrates or saturated fats such as found in beef tallow or butter.
Cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and nonfat cheeses are generally considered healthier than many other types of cheese. This is because these cheeses often contain lower amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat.
Since it is easier to get higher amounts of saturated fat from red meat, switching to chicken can help manage blood cholesterol. A study shows that including lean skinless chicken alongside fish can reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol.
While coffee does not contain cholesterol, it can affect cholesterol levels. The diterpenes in coffee suppress the body's production of substances involved in cholesterol breakdown, causing cholesterol to increase. Specifically, coffee diterpenes may cause an increase in total cholesterol and LDL levels.