High Cholesterol Symptoms and Foods That Help Lower It

High cholesterol can be defined as a health disorder caused by cholesterol levels rising above the normal limit. In general, the main cause is an unhealthy lifestyle. High cholesterol has several symptoms that are worth knowing.

So if you notice high cholesterol symptoms, file a health insurance claim right away to get treatment. Here are some of the symptoms that commonly appear when cholesterol levels are high, along with ways to prevent them.

Symptoms of high cholesterol

1. Joint pain

One common symptom that signals high cholesterol is pain in the joints. The pain can then progress to swelling and redness of the skin. People with high cholesterol also often feel repeated tingling when they wake up. If this is left untreated, it can lead to difficulty moving.

2. Headaches

Another sign of high cholesterol is a tendency to get headaches more easily. So don't always put a headache down to fatigue, because your cholesterol may be rising. Headaches like this are usually caused by plaque building up in the blood vessels, which hinders blood circulation.

3. Getting tired easily

Symptoms of high cholesterol are not limited to aches, tingling and headaches. They also include getting tired easily. So never brush off frequent fatigue as an ordinary health problem. Instead, you should be suspicious if your body tires very easily, especially when you haven't done any strenuous activity.

Foods that lower cholesterol

1. Salmon

This food is rich in omega-3, which helps lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides. Besides omega-3, salmon also contains other equally useful compounds such as EPA and DHA. Together, these two substances are very helpful for optimizing how the heart works.

Research by a health association in America concluded that eating salmon is good for your health. In more detail, the association stated that eating at least 2 servings of salmon a week will lower cholesterol levels. So you should make this fish a regular part of your diet to ease the symptoms of high cholesterol.

2. Avocado

One cholesterol-lowering fruit that is recommended is the avocado. This fruit contains unsaturated fatty acids that help raise levels of good cholesterol (HDL). Avocados are also rich in beta-sitosterol, a type of plant fat. This compound limits the absorption of cholesterol from food.

However, although avocado helps lower cholesterol, that doesn't mean you can eat as many as you like. Know that each avocado contains 300 calories and 30 grams of fat. So the conclusion is that you can eat avocado to lower cholesterol, but only in limited amounts.

3. Soybeans

Did you know that various foods made from soybeans can lower cholesterol? These include tofu, tempeh, oncom (a fermented Indonesian food), soy milk and tofu skin. The ability of soybeans to keep cholesterol down comes from a compound called isoflavone.

Isoflavone suppresses bad cholesterol (LDL) so it does not build up further in the bloodstream. However, you can only enjoy this health benefit of soybeans if you prepare them properly. The right way to prepare soybeans is to limit the use of cooking oil.

To make them healthier, replace regular cooking oil with olive oil. In addition, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is the equivalent of Indonesia's BPOM, has made a recommendation on how to eat soybeans. The advice from this health agency is to eat 25 grams of soy protein per day to lower cholesterol.

Also read A List of Foods That Are Good for Cholesterol

High cholesterol symptoms are a health problem you should respond to promptly. If left unchecked, they could lead to more serious illness. Besides seeing a doctor regularly, you can also lower your cholesterol by adopting a healthy lifestyle, whether that means exercising regularly or eating healthy foods.