Silent diseases, those that have no symptoms or are difficult to detect, are very dangerous. One of them is cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a fatty material that is present in all cells of the body. It is essential for us, because it is used to generate hormones, vitamin D and substances that help digest food.
The problem appears when we have an excess of cholesterol in the blood, usually due to causes such as poor diet, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, etc.
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This high cholesterol, being fat, clogs the arteries, forcing the heart to work harder. It can cause heart attacks, angina pectoris, and other heart diseases.
There are different types of cholesterol. The LDL, or low-density lipoproteins, are what stick to the arteries and blood vessels, blocking the flow of blood. That is why they are colloquially called bad cholesterol.
On the other hand, HDL, or high-density lipoproteins, is the good cholesterol because it separates cholesterol from the blood, and returns it to the liver.
There are many known methods for lowering bad cholesterol. From taking medications prescribed by the doctor, to eating cereals, nuts, and vegetables rich in soluble fiber, which help expel cholesterol.
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Harvard Medical School, via Business Insider, has conducted a study with 100 people to determine the most effective method of lowering cholesterol without taking medication.
The conclusion is simple: this method consists of… eating legumes every day. It is not about eating a good plate of lentils every day, since with half a cup of legumes a day enough.
With this diet over 3 months, study subjects showed a significant decrease in cholesterol, blood sugar, body weight (2.7 kilograms) and waist circumference.
If you have high cholesterol or want to prevent it, eat half a cup of legumes a day (cooked, of course), and you will not only reduce cholesterol, but also blood sugar, and even a few kilos.