Health Benefits of Clover Sprouts

Health Benefits of Clover Sprouts

• You might consider sprouts as just a simple topping for your salad or sandwich. But as a germinated seed, sprouts are a concentrated source of nutrients designed to support the growth of the new plant, and including them in your diet can help you meet essential nutrient needs. Clover sprouts, with a look and taste similar to alfalfa sprouts, provide protein, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin C and folate. Adding them to your salad or sandwich offers a number of health benefits.

Low in Calories

Clover sprouts add flavor and crunch to your food without overloading you on calories. A 100-gram serving of raw clover sprouts contains 23 calories. By comparison, one slice of bacon, also used to add flavor and crunch to salads and sandwiches, contains 45 calories per slice. Including more low-calorie foods in your diet, such as clover sprouts, can make it easier for you to balance your calories to maintain a healthy weight.

Source of Protein

Clover sprouts can also help you meet your protein needs. In fact, most of the calories in clover sprouts, 70 percent, come from its protein content. A 100 g serving of clover sprouts contains 4 g of protein, meeting 8 percent of your daily value. Clover sprouts do not supply all of the essential amino acids, so they are not a complete source of protein. But if you eat a varied diet that includes other vegetables and grains, you should be able to meet all of your essential amino acid needs.

Source of Fiber

Clover sprouts can also help you meet your fiber needs. A 100 g serving contains 2 g of fiber, meeting 8 percent of your daily value. The fiber in clover sprouts can also aid in weight control by slowing digestion, helping you feel full longer. In addition, including more fiber-rich foods in your diet lowers your risk of both heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Rich in Vitamins

As previously mentioned, sprouts are a concentrated source of essential nutrients, including vitamins, used to help support growth of the plant. Clover sprouts provide vitamin C, vitamin A, B vitamins and vitamin K. A 100 g serving of clover sprouts provides 14 percent of your daily value for vitamin C and 38 percent of your daily value for vitamin K. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that protects your cells against oxidative damage and might lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Vitamin K is needed for blood clotting.

Rich in Minerals

Although clover sprouts are not a significant source of any one mineral, they do provide a small amount of several essential ones, including calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, selenium and magnesium. One serving of the sprouts meets 5 percent of your daily value for iron. As many as 80 percent of the world's population might be iron deficient, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron is essential for the production of the proteins that carry oxygen in your body.

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Benefits of White Kidney Beans

Benefits of White Kidney Beans

White kidney beans are a protein-rich starchy vegetable, full of vitamins, minerals and an excellent source of dietary fiber. Adding them to your diet offers a variety of health benefits such as promoting digestive health and preventing heart disease. White kidney beans are large and squared at the edges, unlike smaller white beans, such as navy beans.

Fiber Benefits

• Kidney beans, like other beans and legumes, are rich in both types of dietary fiber -- soluble and insoluble. 

• A 1-cup serving of kidney beans, cooked, meets roughly 45 percent of the Recommended Daily Intake for fiber. Both forms of fiber offer health benefits. 

• In the digestive tract, soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance that binds with cholesterol-containing bile and carries it out of the body.

• Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, helps to prevent constipation and improves laxation by increasing stool bulk. 

• Insoluble fiber may also help to prevent common digestive disorders such as diverticulosis and irritable bowel syndrome.

Reduces Heart Attack

• Fiber-rich diets help promote healthy cholesterol levels and lower cholesterol. 

• White kidney beans are also rich in a B vitamin known as folate. 

• In fact, a 1-cup serving of cooked white kidney beans meets over half of the Recommended Daily Value, or DV, for this nutrient. 

• Folate helps lower levels of homocysteine. Homocysteine is an amino acid that acts as a toxin in the bloodstream. 

• In fact, elevated levels of this amino acid in the bloodstream is an independent risk factor for stroke and heart attack. 

• According to a meta-analysis published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" in October 2002, if all Americans consumed folate-rich diets, or those that met 100 percent of the DV for this nutrient, it would reduce the number of heart attacks by 10 to 11 percent each year due to the reduction in circulating homocysteine.

Stabilizes Blood Sugar

• In addition to offering benefits for the digestive and cardiovascular systems, the soluble fiber found in white kidney beans helps stabilize blood sugar levels. 

• According to an article published in "Current Diabetes Reports" in October 2009, randomized, controlled research studies have shown that viscous soluble fiber offers both immediate and long-term metabolic improvements in individuals with type 2 diabetes. 

• Some of these benefits include reducing hemoglobin A1c levels and insulin levels, improving fasting and post-meal glucose readings, and aiding in weight control by promoting feelings of fullness.

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Oca Vegetable Health benefits

Oca Vegetable Health benefits

• Oca is a perennial plant extensively cultivated in the central and southern Andes for its edible root. This tuberous root vegetable is the second most widely grown root crop behind the potato in Peru and Bolivia. 

• There are many ways to cook oca, including baking, boiling, steaming, roasting, and stir frying. 

• Oca is one of the highest vegetable sources of carbohydrate and energy. They are a good source of pro-vitamin A (beta carotene), and also contain potassium, vitamin B6 and small amounts of fibre.

• Eating more fresh vegetables is one of the simplest choices you can make to improve your overall health. 

• A vegetable-rich diet can help protect you from arthritis, heart disease, stroke, dementia, cancer, and can even help slow down your body’s aging process.

• Oca is a highly productive perennial plant with waxy, brightly coloured tubers that are perfect as a season-extending crop. 

• It is an excellent source of carbohydrates, phosphorus and iron, as well as essential amino acids that promote the health and proper function of muscles, organs, nails, hair, skin and more.

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Health Benefits of Eating Red Kidney Beans

Health Benefits of Eating Red Kidney Beans

• With their deep red color, cooked red kidney beans can liven up a wide range of meals including salads, soups and stews. But did you know that these little legumes can do much more than just that? Packed with protein, soluble (and insoluble) fiber, folate (vitamin B9), magnesium, potassium and a number of other health promoting nutrients, red kidney beans (haricots rouges, red beans, in French) are a true superfood. But what exactly are the health benefits associated with eating red kidney beans? Continue reading to find out.

• In the renowned Seven Countries Study, researchers investigated associations between the intake of certain food groups and mortality from coronary heart disease over a 25-year period. The study involved a total of 12,763 middle-aged men belonging to 16 cohorts in seven countries (the US, Finland, Italy, former Yugoslavia, Greece, Japan, and the Netherlands). The researchers concluded that a higher legume consumption could reduce the risk of heart attack by more than 80%.

• The findings of the Seven Countries Study are not surprising considering that legumes such as red kidney beans are cram full of folate (also known as vitamin B9) and fiber, both of which promote cardiovascular health. Just one cup (177 grams) of cooked red kidney beans provides a third of the recommended daily intake for folate! Folate deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, coronary complications, and stroke. Vitamin B9 also helps eliminate homocysteine, a toxic substance that can lead to severe artery damage.

• The soluble fiber in red kidney beans contributes to their heart health benefits by forming a gel-like substance in the digestive tract. This gel then binds with bile, which contains cholesterol, and carries it out of the body.

• Flavonoids represent one of the most important classes of antioxidants, and red kidney beans are exceptionally rich in flavonoids, particularly in proanthocyanidins (also known as condensed tannins). According to an analysis conducted by USDA researcher Ronald Prior, red kidney beans contain even more proanthocyanidins than blueberries, cranberries, and small red beans.

• Protein is vital for many bodily processes, including building and repairing tissue. Your hair and nails are mostly made up of protein, and protein is an important building block of muscles and skin. Protein is made of strands of amino acids, and amino acids are categorized as non-essential (meaning they can be manufactured by the human body) and essential (meaning they must be obtained from food). A complete protein is a protein that contains all of the essential amino acids in correct proportions for supporting biological functions in the human body.

• Generally, proteins derived from animal foods (meats, poultry, seafood, dairy) are complete. However, also beans such as red kidney beans can provide a complete protein — when combined with rice or grains. Red kidney beans are low in the amino acid lysine, while rice is rich in this essential amino acid. The art of combining foods with incomplete proteins (such as beans and rice) to create a complete protein is known as protein combining or protein complementing. Eating a meal composed of red kidney beans and rice (or grains) will not only provide you with a complete protein, it will also provide you with a protein-rich meal that is free of cholesterol (animal sources of protein tend to be high in cholesterol).

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The Top Benefits of Pitaya and Why It’s Important To Your Health!

The Top Benefits of Pitaya and Why It’s Important To Your Health!

• So with all that being said (my rambling sentiments setting the groundwork in the above), I do want to talk about pitaya, which is not a common food for most of us. It does actually fall into the category of being “exotic” to an extent.

• Probably the first thing you will notice about the pitaya (dragon fruit) is its distinctive look. 

• Coming in 3 color variations, yellow or pink with white flesh and red with red flesh, the typical dragon fruit is a truly curious looking thing. 

• It has fish-like, thick scales on the skin which signal its membership in the succulent family, and tender inner flesh which is peppered with a multitude of tiny black seed. So pretty!!! 

• The skin is not typically considered edible because it can be quite leathery and a bit bitter, but it is sometimes brewed as a tea to extract valuable nutrients such as Lycopene (shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer), which gives it the vibrant red color. 

• Once you have sliced it, you can scoop out the flesh and enjoy the taste and texture of the fruit with the seeds. 

• Eating the seeds is part of the experience and should be enjoyed for the textural component they offer as well as the nutritional value of the polyunsaturated fatty acids they contain. 

• When I was in Korea for 3 weeks last year I ate pitaya daily in huge amounts, as it was part of the breakfast buffet of the Conrad, the hotel where I stayed. At first it tastes really mild, but if you combine it with other fruits (I like to blend it with strawberries) and as your diet really purifies, your tastes may detect more of the sensitive delicacies of pitaya’s subtle flavors. Now I have to say that I truly love it! 

• Not only is the humble pitaya an object of exotic beauty, but it truly packs a substantial beauty and nutritional punch (our favorite kind of punch, not Manny Pacquiao style!). A 100-gram (3.5 oz) serving of white-fleshed dragon fruit provides an estimated 21 milligrams of vitamin C, which is 34% of the recommended daily value.    

• While this doesn’t compare to oranges which provide more than twice this amount, it still offers more than triple the vitamin C found in an equal serving of carrots. 

• Why is this so important? Because when we infuse our diets with foods that are rich in vitamin C, like the dragon fruit, we are boosting our body’s natural ability to flush out heavy metals and other toxins, aiding in the rebuilding of cells, contributing to the natural beauty of the skin, and enhancing our ability to cope with stress. 

• This is only a small example of the way our bodies use the foods we eat. 

• The bounty of nutrition doesn’t simply stop with vitamin C. 

• Along with being a moderately good source of iron, the dragon fruit also contains essential B vitamins which our bodies use to perform a host of other duties, like helping to metabolize carbohydrates, lowering bad cholesterol levels, and nourishing the skin. Great for hair and nails also! 

• It also contains phosphorous which plays an important role in how the body uses carbohydrates and fats. 

• Phosphorous is a necessary nutrient which our bodies use to make protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues. 

• It helps the body make ATP, a molecule the body uses to store energy, and phosphorus also works with the B vitamins, aiding in healthy kidney function, nerve signaling, muscle contraction, and healthy heartbeat.

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Despite its flavour it has immense health Jeera benefits

Despite its flavour it has immense health Jeera benefits

Women-wisdom suggests Jeera (cumin seeds) water for a regular intake to overcome the growing unexpected diseases for the following reasons:

• It has good antiseptic properties that fights common cold and fevers. 

• When Jeera water mixed with ginger soothes soar throat. 

• Cumin seeds are highly noted for digestive disorders like biliousness, morning sickness, indigestion, atonic dyspepsia, diarrhea, malabsorption syndrome, and flatulent colic. 

• Cumin makes a great tonic for the body even if you don’t have a specific ailment to cure.  

• It is said to increase the heat in the body thus making metabolism more efficient. 

• Cumin is effective in relieving sleeplessness. 

• A teaspoon of cumin seeds and a riped banana can be taken at night to induce sleep. 

• It is rich in iron and thus very good for lactating mothers as well as women who are undergoing menses or who are pregnant. 

• It is rich in Vitamin-E. 

• The essential oils present in this have disinfectant and anti fungal properties. 

• This prevents any microbial and fungal infection from affecting the skin. 

• The presence of, abundance of iron, presence of essential oils and vitamin-C & vitamin-A in cumin boosts up our immune system.  

• Very good for anemic patients since cumin seeds contain a good amount of iron which is an essential element for the formation of hemoglobin in the blood required for transport of oxygen.

•  Strengthens hair and nails.

How to prepare Jeera water?

• 1 spoon cumin seeds for 1 glass of water is taken and boiled well. 

• Addition of ginger and honey when boiling gives a great relief of common flu and cold. 

• To overcome stomach disorders mix it with lime juice and consume.

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Foods for Healthy, Gorgeous Skin

Foods for Healthy, Gorgeous Skin

While genetics and lifestyle habits play a significant role in skin health, the right foods can also help you fight acne, minimize wrinkles, and enhance your skin's natural beauty.

Tropical Fruit

• Eating guava, pineapple, papaya, kiwi, and other tropical fruits that contain vitamin C will help defend your skin against damaging free radicals. 

• Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that is naturally found in the skin, so eating tropical fruits and other vitamin C–rich foods can replenish your skin's stores. 

• Vitamin C also helps your body produce collagen, a protein that helps keep your skin firm and elastic.

Broccoli

• This cruciferous veggie is high in antioxidants, including vitamins C and E. 

• The vitamin C in broccoli aids in collagen production and keeps your skin healthy and supple, while vitamin E protects your skin cell membranes and guards against UV radiation damage.

Almonds

• These nuts are one of the best food sources of vitamin E.

• Eat whole almonds as a snack or add sliced almonds to salads, cereal, yogurt, stir–fry or baked goods. 

• You can also toast almond slivers and serve them on top of fish, chicken, or even rice or pasta dishes. 

• The vitamin E in almonds can help nourish your skin and protect it from the sun's damaging UV rays. 

• Just be sure to eat them in moderation, since almonds and other nuts are calorie–dense.

Whole Grain Pastas and Breads

• Another skin–friendly antioxidant is the mineral selenium, which is found in whole grain pastas and breads. 

• Selenium helps protect your skin against environmental damage and promotes elasticity and general skin health. 

• High–dose selenium supplements have been linked to health problems, so it's always best to get your selenium from delicious food sources.

Carrots

• Crunch on carrots to keep your skin healthy and vibrant. Carrots are high in beta carotene, an antioxidant that is converted to vitamin A inside the body. 

• It helps repair skin tissue and protects against the sun's harsh rays. 

• Enjoy carrots raw in salads or with a low–calorie dip, or try roasting them to develop a rich, sweet flavor. (Bonus! Cooked carrots deliver even more skin–friendly beta carotene than raw ones.)

Pumpkin Seeds

• Pumpkin seeds are a skin super food because they're so high in zinc. 

• Zinc protects your cell membranes, helps maintain collagen, and promotes skin renewal. 

• Enjoy pumpkin seeds on their own as a snack, add them into a homemade trail mix, or sprinkle them on yogurt or oatmeal.

Fish

• Salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, and rainbow trout all contain omega–3 fats, which help fortify skin cell membranes, protect against sun damage, and may also reduce the risk of certain forms of skin cancer. 

• These healthy fats allow water and nutrients into the skin while keeping toxins out, and may also fight inflammation in the skin. Just don't cancel out the benefits of eating fish by preparing it in unhealthy ways. 

• Avoid deep–fried fish, and go for baked, grilled, roasted or poached instead.

Water

• It's not a "food," per se, but water is crucial when it comes to skin health because it flushes toxins out of your body, delivers nutrients to your cells, and keeps your organs functioning. 

• It also helps keep your cells plump and full, which makes your skin look firmer and clearer. 

• To get more water in your daily diet, fill up a large reusable container with ice–cold water each morning, and keep drinking from it throughout the day. 

• And drinking water isn't the only way to keep your skin cells hydrated. Many fruits and veggies are more than 75 percent water (by weight), so they're a terrific source of H2O, too.

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Quick tips for a longer, healthier life

Quick tips for a longer, healthier life

• Tea off in the morning 

Hot tea can slash your risk of kidney cancer by 15 percent, according to a review in the International Journal of Cancer. Try pu-erh tea, which is better than green or black tea at preventing DNA damage.

• Sleep smarter 

Too much sleep, or not enough of it, can kill you. A British study found that getting more than 9 hours of sack time a night, or less than 6, doubles your risk of an early death from any cause. Aim for 7 to 8 hours a night.

• Pop in your lenses post-shower 

Soaping up while wearing your contacts can expose your eyes to infection-causing waterborne microbes, say University of Illinois at Chicago researchers.

• Drink wine, stay lean 

Polyphenols, the compounds found in red wine, help your body block fat absorption, an Israeli study found. Red-wine marinades work, too.

• Lose the lint 

Taking 2 seconds to empty the lint trap in your clothes dryer can prevent you from being one of the 315 dryer-fire victims each year in the United States.

• Check your neck 

An American Journal of Medicine study found that a mildly underactive thyroid can boost your heart-disease risk by 65 percent. A quick blood test can assess your level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).

• Lean back 

Parking your torso at a 90-degree angle strains your spine, say Scottish and Canadian researchers. Instead, give your chair the La-Z-Boy treatment and recline the seat back slightly. The ideal angle is 45 degrees off vertical.

• Scent your air safely 

Some air fresheners contain phthalates, compounds that may disrupt hormone processes, Natural Resources Defense Council testing reveals. Stick with Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects.

• Boost your defenses 

An Archives of Internal Medicine review reports that 400 IU of vitamin D a day reduces your risk of an early death by 7 percent. Try Carlson's vitamin D.

• Skip the spray 

Using household spray cleaners just once a week increases your risk of an asthma attack by 76 percent, say Spanish researchers. Use wipes instead.

• Steam your broccoli 

Italian researchers recently discovered that steaming broccoli increases its concentration of glucosinolates (compounds found to fight cancer) by 30 percent. Boiling actually lowers the levels.

• Stretch it out 

Genes in your body linked to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity can be "turned on" if you sit for hours on end, reports a study in Diabetes. Hit the "off" button by taking hourly laps during TV, book, and Web sessions.

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11 Surprising Ways To Lower Your Cholesterol

11 Surprising Ways To Lower Your Cholesterol

1. Onion Extract

• A study recently presented to the Endocrine Society found that onion extract lowered total cholesterol in diabetic rats. 

• A handful of other studies in the past few years also found onion to be effective in reducing both LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and blood sugar. 

• The catch is that all of the research was done on rats—not people—and scientists are still unsure how well onion extract would work on human cholesterol.  

• A cardiologist at The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, believes both onion and garlic have cholesterol-lowering properties although she, like other scientists, isn't sure why.  

• "In the Indian culture, we believe spices have healing properties," "And onion and garlic are both very useful in lowering cholesterol, based on what we've seen in Indian cooking."  

• Bottom line, onion could help with your cholesterol (it certainly has helped a few rats), but don't expect miracles.

2. Red Yeast Rice

• Yeast rice, which is pretty much what it sounds like—a type of yeast grown on fermented rice—contains a compound called monacolin K, which is the same compound found in a statin called lovastatin. 

• Like the medication, monacolin K blocks the liver from creating the cholesterol your body needs to protect your cells. 

• With a lack of naturally produced cholesterol, the liver turns on its LDL receptor that pulls bad cholesterol out of the blood. 

• Studies have shown red yeast rice taken in pill form can reduce LDL cholesterol by 10% to 30%. 

MORE: Top 10 Cholesterol-Fighting Foods

3. Laxatives

• Laxatives won't just get your bowels moving, some can also help lower cholesterol—but only if you take them the right way, Hazen says. 

• Soluble fibers found in laxatives like Metamucil block the absorption of cholesterol into the blood. 

• "The powder will semi-solidify like Jell-O that doesn't set all the way," says Hazen. 

• As it makes its way through your stomach and intestines, that jelly-like substance picks up cholesterol, keeping it from getting absorbed. 

• Since Metamucil grabs cholesterol from food, and not cholesterol your body produces, Hazen says it's only effective when taken with a big meal. 

• Besides blocking cholesterol absorption, Gopal says soluble fiber like Metamucil has secondary effects that can also lower cholesterol, like making you feel full longer so you cut down on fatty snacks.   

4. Tofu

• Studies have found that eating tofu and other soy products in moderation reduces LDL cholesterol, and has either no effect or a positive effect on breast cancer tumors. 

• Harvard Medical School doctors say eating about 10 ounces of tofu or 2½ cups of soymilk a day can reduce bad cholesterol by 5 to 6%. 

• Tofu also contains phytosterols and is a low-cholesterol protein, so replacing meat with tofu at least one night a week cuts the amount of cholesterol in your diet.  

• A cardiologist at the Perelman Heart Institute of New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

5. Cholesterol

• The plant version of cholesterol, called phytosterols, actually improves your cholesterol levels by substituting the cholesterol in your body. 

• Phytosterols act similarly to soluble fibers like Metamucil. 

• "They bind up some of the cholesterol in the food that you eat so it's metabolized by the body,". 

• Also like Metamucil, phytosterol supplements are best taken with food. 

•  Trying a phytosterol spread, similar to butter or margarine. 

• You can also take phytosterols like a vitamin or add them to your diet through foods like fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains like oatmeal.

6. Alcohol

• A daily glass of red wine isn't going to do anything for your LDL. 

• However, it has been found to increase levels of HDL cholesterol (the "good" kind). "You can compare HDL to Liquid Draino,". 

• "It actually cleans out your arteries. 

• So the higher your HDL, the better your total cholesterol." 

• But this doesn't mean you can grab a bottle of wine and go to town. Drinking alcohol in excess is still bad for you, and "excess" might be less than you think. 

• The Mayo Clinic recommends no more than one drink a day for women and for men older than 65. 

• Men under 65 can have two drinks a day. 

• But if you don't drink, there's certainly no reason to start now. 

• "I would always caution people about alcohol because it has side effects,". 

• "In some people it can worsen heart failure; in others it can worsen liver disease." 

• But if you already drink every day, she recommends you follow the guidelines and talk to your doctor.  

MORE: This Is Your Body On Alcohol (Infographic)

7. Pectin

• The bitter white rind on oranges contains pectin, a fiber that can also lower LDL cholesterol by 7% to 10%, according to a study from doctors in the Netherlands. 

• It works like phytosterols and Metamucil to bind up cholesterol in your diet before it gets absorbed. 

• Luckily for us, pectin can also be found in apples—which are way tastier than orange pulp.  

• Both apple and citrus pectin are also available as a supplement at most drugstores.

8. Sleep

• A study from the Nihon University School of Medicine in Japan found that for women not getting enough sleep (less than five hours) and getting too much sleep (more than eight hours) both correlated to higher levels of bad and lower levels of good cholesterol. 

• "Our cholesterol metabolism occurs at night,". 

• "And so that's why a lot of times the medications we take for cholesterol are prescribed to be taken at bedtime." 

• Losing sleep or getting too much sleep both disrupt your body's processing of the fats and sugars you ate throughout the day. 

• But says getting enough sleep also has a secondary effect on cholesterol. 

• "If you're sleeping enough you have the energy to do the sort of things that allow you to maintain a healthy lifestyle, like choosing healthy foods and exercising regularly."

MORE: 6 Simple Ways To Lower Your Stroke Risk (And Why You Need To Worry About It Now)

9. Indian Gooseberry

• This Indian fruit has as much vitamin C as two oranges, which says gives it its cholesterol-fighting power. 

• "It's a very potent antioxidant that helps your cardiovascular system," LDL cholesterol is oxidized in your bloodstream and transforms into plaque that gums up your arteries.  

• Antioxidants like vitamin C stop the oxidation and therefore reduce the amount of plaque deposited in your arteries. 

• Indian Gooseberries can be found both fresh and frozen in Indian markets. 

• Can't locate them near you? You can also take it in vitamin form, which is called "Amla.

10. Licorice Root

• The licorice candy you're used to isn't actually licorice at all—much of what's sold in candy stores won't do anything to get rid of cholesterol (sorry). 

• It's licorice root that you want, which can be taken in pill form. 

• A handful of small studies have found licorice root both reduces LDL cholesterol and fat buildup, but more research is needed to determine why and how well it works. 

• Licorice root can interact dangerously with other medications like insulin, laxatives, and contraceptives, so talk to your doctor before you try it out.

MORE: Is Your Statin Alternative A Waste Of Money.

11. Bergamot

• A bergamot is like a cross between an orange and a lemon, and though it just recently hit the cholesterol-lowering market.

• As a supplement, you've likely encountered it in other forms: Essential oil from Bergamot rinds gives Earl Grey tea its distinctive taste and is also used in many perfumes. 

• But instead of pectin being this fruit's cholesterol-fighting superpower, researchers believe a high concentration of five flavonoids makes it an effective treatment. 

• Two of the flavonoids (also in grapefruit) have been found to inhibit LDL cholesterol from depositing plaque in the arteries. 

• And two others, called melitidine and brutieridine, exhibit statin-like properties. 

• Research is just preliminary, but so far bergamot has proven to reduce LDL cholesterol by about 27% and also raise HDL cholesterol.

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