Looking for a natural way to manage your cholesterol levels? Here’s what you need to know about cholesterol and how to keep it in check. Our body consists of both LDL or “bad” cholesterol and HDL or “good” cholesterol.
A high amount of bad cholesterol in your blood may increase your risk of heart disease. While bad cholesterol hardens the arteries, narrowing them down and restricting blood flow, the good cholesterol removes the LDL from where it doesn’t belong, helping to ensure unhindered blood circulation.
Research has shown that eating fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to improve the level of good cholesterol and reduce the level of LDL cholesterol in the body. (1)
Consuming these in the form of smoothies is the easiest way to add them to your diet. Just drop some chopped veggies and fruits into the blender and give it a whirl, and your flavorful, healthy smoothie is ready!
Heart-Healthy Green Apple and Carrot Smoothie
The white substance under the skin of a green apple contains pectin that binds to the bad cholesterol and ferries it out of the body. (2)
This smoothie recipe also contains apple cider vinegar that helps to further lower cholesterol. A 2014 study states that apple cider vinegar proved to be beneficial in lowering serum lipid levels in mice. (3)
Orange juice, lime juice, and carrots are all rich sources of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant and helps to reduce the formation of oxidized cholesterol in the arteries.
Oats contain soluble fiber that helps reduce the absorption of bad cholesterol in your bloodstream.
Accordingly to one rat based study the antioxidants in honey increased HDL or good cholesterol in the test group in comparison to the control group. (4)
Indian gooseberry is also a rich source of vitamin C and phenolic compounds in addition to minerals and amino acids.
Things you’ll need:
- Apple cider vinegar - 1 to 2 teaspoon
- Orange juice - 1 cup
- Carrot - 1 or 2 pieces
- Oats - 1 to 2 tablespoons
- Green apple - 1
- Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
- Indian gooseberry juice - 1 tablespoon
- Raw honey - 1 tablespoon
Step 1. Combine chopped carrots, green apple, and orange juice in a blender
- Chop 1 or 2 pieces of carrot and 1 whole green apple and put it into the blender.
- Pour 1 cup of fresh orange juice.
Step 2. Pour apple cider vinegar, gooseberry juice, and honey into the blender and add oats
- Pour 1 to 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar into the blender and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oats.
- Put 1 tablespoon each of Indian gooseberry juice and raw honey into the blender.
Step 3. Squeeze lemon juice into the blender and whirl it
- Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the blender by squeezing out a fresh lime.
- Cover the blender and run intermittently until you get a smooth blend.
Step 4. Pour the blend into a sipper bottle and enjoy your smoothie
- Transfer the blend into a sipper bottle and drink up your heart friendly nutritious smoothie.
Sip on 1 glass of this smoothie every day to manage your cholesterol level and maintain good cardiovascular health.
Additional Tips
- You can use green vegetables such as kale and spinach. These vegetables immensely help you to keep your cholesterol levels in check.
- You can substitute the green apple with red apples and avocado.
- Using chia seeds in your smoothie helps you stay full for a long period of time, preventing overeating. Plus, they are good sources of fiber for the body.
Resources:
1. Zhao C-N, Meng X, Li Y, et al. Fruits for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases. Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5490577/. Published June 13, 2017.
2. Jesch ED, Carr TP. Food Ingredients That Inhibit Cholesterol Absorption. Preventive nutrition and food science. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5503415/. Published June 2017.
3. Nazıroğlu M, Güler M, Özgül C, Saydam G, Küçükayaz M, Sözbir E. Apple cider vinegar modulates serum lipid profile, erythrocyte, kidney, and liver membrane oxidative stress in ovariectomized mice fed high cholesterol. The Journal of membrane biology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24894721. Published August 2014.