Important Dietary Constituents

Many people think that they are taking a good balanced diet which would help their body in proper functioning and building a good immune system. However, it may not be true in certain cases. There are some important dietary constituents that not only provide nutritional support but also prevent some disorders in the body.
Soybeans are considered as very important. It lowers the levels of serum cholesterol in the body. For the treatment of hyper-lipidaemia, it proves very useful. By consuming 25-50 grams of soybean protein in a day, a person can decrease the level of serum cholesterol, which gives rise to many disorders, by 9%.

Two cups of soy milk contain 30 grams of soy protein, which is sufficient for the body and equivalent to a non-vegetarian diet. Soybean also contains some non-protein substances that are considered as good for the body. These are phytoestrogens and isoflavones.

Nuts are also considered as an important part of diet. Nuts are very rich in vitamins like folic acid, vitamin E, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12; mono-unsaturated fatty acides like oleic acid and most importantly, proteins. Nuts also contain fiber, which is also essential for the body.

There are some nuts that contain poly-unsaturated fatty acids. For example, walnut is one of them. Nuts have been categorized into various categories in United States. Some common types of nuts found are almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and macadamia. All these nuts decrease the levels of cholesterol in the body.

Other important dietary constituent is legume. Levels of serum cholesterol are greatly reduced by leguminous seeds. A person can easily replace wheat flour with chick peas and can get the level of serum cholesterol of his body reduced by up to 25%. Starch diet can also be replaced with leguminous diet for decreasing levels of serum cholesterol as well as serum triglycerides.

Soluble fibers are considered as very important for human body. These fibers are found in ample quantities in barley, fruits, oat cereals, and dried beans. Legumes also contain soluble fibers. Fibers decrease the levels of blood lipids very efficiently. If blood cholesterol levels of a person are high, he can eat some oat products that offer soluble fibers in good quantities.

As compared to wheat bran or oatmeal, oat bran is more beneficial. While consuming soluble fiber it, it should be seen if diet is low in saturated fats also. This would offer multiple benefits to a person.