- Protein is often associated with its muscle building benefits. Supplement companies splatter all over the internet and at supplement stores how increased protein intake will give you bulging biceps and ripped abdominals. Yes, protein is the building block of muscle tissue and through a low cholesterol diet its health benefits go far beyond the vanity of large muscles.
- Low cholesterol protein will reduce the risk of heart disease and lower LDL cholesterol. Cardiovascular diseases that affect the heart, veins, and arteries, kill more people than cancer each year in the United States. Health costs in America are in the billions of dollars which do not include the 60 billion dollars spent on prescription drugs.
- An effective way to combat these killer diseases is a low cholesterol protein such as soy. Soy has numerous health benefits including preventing heart diseases as substantiated by the FDA.
Cardiovascular diseases are often inherited and a low cholesterol diet is often times insufficient in preventing disease. A 2005 study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition tested the cholesterol lowering drugs against cholesterol lowering foods. The results showed that the foods were almost as effective as the drugs were. Soy is not the only low cholesterol source of protein. Egg substitutes are cholesterol free as well as egg whites. Lean meats such as beef and pork tenderloin are low in fat and cholesterol and provide a lot of protein and iron. Lean fowl such as turkey and chicken are also very high in protein and low in cholesterol.
Heart disease is on the rise and has been the number one killer of people in America since 1900. The statistics are alarming:
• Every thirty-four seconds a person in the US dies from heart disease.
• More than 2,500 Americans die from heart disease each day.
• Every 20 seconds a person in the United States has a heart attack.
• 250,000 people die of heart attacks before they reach the hospital each year.
• Over six million hospitalizations each year are because of cardiovascular disease.
• Every thirty-three seconds an American dies of cardiovascular disease.
• Men suffer heart attacks about ten years earlier than women do.
• People who are sedentary are almost twice as likely to suffer heart attacks as are people who exercise regularly.
Incorporating low cholesterol proteins have a double edged benefit when introduced into your diet. People who eat lean proteins are satiated for longer periods of time and studies show they tend to snack less on junk food in between meals. Protein is broken down into essential amino acids that can help fight disease and maintain muscle mass and actually increase metabolism up to 35 percent. Although cardio vascular disease is inherited much of the problem is dietary. Poor food choices by Americans have lead to this epidemic of obesity and death. As you can see a high protein diet does not have to be a diet high in fat and cholesterol. Choosing lean protein sources will reduce your risk of disease and will also improve your looks and mental well-being.
