Can Whole Grain Oat Flour decrease Cholesterol?

Whole grain oat flour or oat bran can reduce cholesterol and the bad LDL-cholesterol. The fibre, beta-glucan is responsible for this reduction. The amount of good HDL-cholesterol is not lowered.

100g oat bran provides at least 5.5g and whole grain oat flour provides at least 4g beta-glucan soluble fibre. 3g of beta-glucan intake is suggested for the reduction of cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol.

Normally 60g oat bran is enough to get the necessary amount of beta-glucan. Do not take too much of oat flour and the benefit is not increasing with more intake.

The reduction of cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol can be achieved if you take food with less saturated fatty acids and a good lifestyle. Regular physical activity is a must.

Oat flour contains approximately 60% carbohydrates and an uncontrolled huge intake is not healthy.

What are the health benefits and risks of capsaicin from Red Chillies?

Chillies are very good food with good nutrients. They are rich in vitamins and minerals. Capsaicin is the main phytochemical from the capsaicinoids which has many health benefits.

The health benefits of capsaicin include:

• Can cause cancer cell death in animal studies
• Can inhibit chemically induced carcinogenesis and mutagenesis in animal models
• May help to reduce weight. If you want to gain weight reduce the intake of red chillies
• Can prevent the oxidation of the bad LDL-cholesterol
• Meals with red chillies help to control the blood sugar
• Is a painkiller
• Can control the microbial contamination of food
• Has anti-ulcer protective effects

But, any food which we eat in excess is not good. It is also with red chillies. If you buy red chilli powder buy from good and known sources. There are adulterations in some countries where para-Red or lead salts are added.

What is the role played by fruits and vegetables to control cholesterol?

Fruits and vegetables have no cholesterol. They have many antioxidants which could lower the bad LDL-cholesterol.

Avocados, olive oil and almonds reduce the bad LDL-cholesterol. These are fatty foods but the monounsaturated fatty acids present in them are good.

Vitamin C protects HDL, which cleans the arteries and with vitamin E it acts as antioxidant so that the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol will not take place and without oxidised LDL-cholesterol the arteries are clean. Two oranges will give you the enough vitamin C every day.

The apples are healthy, even a child knows it today, and it has a soluble fibre, pectin, which is responsible for the decrease of cholesterol. There are also other substances present which helps pectin. This effect is much higher in women than in men; women loose cholesterol almost 3 times more than men. Two apples can do well for a day.

Grapefruit is also a good food, it has a unique property of decreasing LDL-cholesterol but it can also reverse plaque which is already clogging your arteries. The soluble fibre found in grapefruit is galacturonic acid, but the juice does not have this fibre and so no effect on cholesterol.

But, if you take medicines you must be careful; grapefruit and juice can interfere with drug metabolism.

Carrots are good to decrease LDL-cholesterol and increase the good HDL-cholesterol. Pectin is one of the many soluble fibres present in carrots. Two average size carrots are enough per day to get the good effect. At the same time whether it is cooked or fried the effect of the fibre is there. Beta-carotene from carrots also increases the HDL cholesterol.

Onion is the best food to increase the HDL-cholesterol, but it must be raw. Cooked onions help in other ways to protect the heart. Half a raw onion per day is good.

Three raw or cooked garlic cloves a day can lower cholesterol. The substances in garlic reduce the production of cholesterol in the liver.

Is cholesterol dangerous? How do the nuts reduce cholesterol?

Cholesterol is an essential substance in our body and it has several important functions. Our blood, brain, liver and other organs need cholesterol. If there is no cholesterol then there are no female and male sex hormones and vitamin D..

Cholesterol is made a villain by many vested interests to make business and earn money. LDL-cholesterol is dangerous when it is oxidised with oxygen free radicals and this may be the reason to form the plaque. If we can control this, by lowering cholesterol and reducing the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol, it is a great thing.

Most of the persons are afraid of nuts because of the high fat content. Most of these fats are monounsaturated fatty acids which reduce the LDL or bad cholesterol. The almonds are similar to olives and have the same effect. Walnut is also good to lower cholesterol.

Remember, all plant foods including nuts do not have cholesterol. However the problem of weight gain is due to the high calories of energy in the nuts. Eat nuts but reduce the other fatty foods to lower the weight, gain.

All nuts are good, but eat without salt.

What is trans-fat? Is it healthy?

Trans-fats are formed when edible oil is hydrogenated to make it solid and to increase the shelf life of the fat.

We should not take too much of trans-fat because it is a risk factor for heart diseases. It increases the bad LDL-cholesterol and decreases the HDL-cholesterol. We must be always careful with fat intake.

Trans-fat is used to stabilize processed foods in packaging and is present all packed foods. Excess intake doubles the risk of heart attack.

Trans-fat cheapens the cost of processed and packed foods. If possible avoid such foods. Cheap margarines may also contain trans-fat and these must also be avoided.

What are the heart attack symptoms in women?

Women have different symptoms than men. Chest pain and other chest related symptoms are the regular symptoms in men. Many women get them also.

But many women do not have chest pain. Almost 45% of the women have no chest pain.

The common heart attack symptoms in women include:

• Shortness of breath
• General weakness
• Unusual fatigue
• Upper abdominal pressure
• Pressure in the lower chest
• Back pain
• Nausea
• Dizziness

If you have the other risk factors like family history, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high LDL-cholesterol and over weight you must go to your cardiologist immediately.