Fruits that help lower cholesterol

Organic compounds like anthocyanins and flavonoids in black currants help reduce total bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol levels in the body.

According to experts, around half of adults in the UK are living with high cholesterol, which increases the risk of a number of serious chronic diseases. In people with high cholesterol, large amounts of fat build up in the blood, which can cause blockages that can lead to heart attacks or strokes. Experts say that daily diet partly determines the amount of cholesterol in the body. For example, eating a lot of saturated fat can significantly increase cholesterol levels.

However, some foods do the opposite. According to Jo Hilditch, an expert at the Blackcurrant Foundation, blackcurrants are one of the fruits that effectively help lower cholesterol. She said that this berry has anti-inflammatory effects, soothes the stomach, aids digestion, and improves kidney health. Blackcurrants are a shrub that grows in temperate or subtropical climates, with heart-shaped leaves, serrated edges, and hairy surfaces.

Black currants contain organic anthocyanins, which reduce total bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol levels. Black currant juice is rich in antioxidants, which prevent lipid oxidation in the body, preventing cardiovascular disease.

In currants there is another compound called flavonoid, which improves blood vessel function, reduces blood viscosity, and prevents the risk of harmful blood clots.

Black currant. Photo: Pexel — Black currant. Photo: *Pexel*

Scientific research shows that flavonoids can also inhibit the formation of bad cholesterol. This type of cholesterol, if left unchecked, can stick to blood vessel walls, leading to narrowing of the arteries, promoting cardiovascular problems.

A study published in the journal Molecules in 2021 tested the use of blackcurrant juice in 12 healthy women. Scientists found that very low-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein (both types of "bad" cholesterol) in the volunteers' bodies decreased after 29 days of using the juice.

Black currants also help limit the effects of alcoholic beverages. According to experts, long-term alcohol abuse will cause permanent damage to the structure and function of the liver, thereby directly affecting the ability of this organ to function. Drinking a lot of alcohol can also produce free radicals as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby causing hepatitis.

Consuming polyphenol-rich foods such as blackcurrants helps reduce these adverse effects.

Thuc Linh (According to Express )

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