Is Pickles Good for Cholesterol?

I am the Chief Didi and Co-founder of FarmDidi. My mission to empower 1 million rural women led me to start FarmDidi. We have always wanted to bring food products that can accelerate livelihoods for rural women; hence, we focused on pickles, which always tastes best when homemade. And who can do it better than our Rural Didis, aka FarmDidis, who carry traditional wisdom and recipes passed down through generations?

While I have always been very busy with my work, I saw my mother, who is also growing old, facing health issues due to high cholesterol. I also learned that many women have this problem too. Nowadays, it is very common for women older than 50 years or those at the cusp of menopause to start facing cholesterol problems. 

Being in the food industry, I always knew that what we eat greatly defines our health. I started reading blogs and spoke to my medical friends too. What I understood was the following:

Should Cholesterol be reduced or optimized?

Cholesterol is a type of fat, but unlike other fats, it is not broken down for energy. Instead, our body needs cholesterol to make cell membranes, produce hormones, synthesize vitamin D, and even create much-needed bile acids for digestion. Our liver produces and controls the level of cholesterol in our blood. If we eat cholesterol-rich food, our liver creates less cholesterol, and vice versa. Our liver produces both good and bad types of cholesterol. 

Good cholesterol is called HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein), while bad cholesterol is called LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein).

HDL removes excess cholesterol from the blood and sends it to the liver for disposal. LDL carries cholesterol to different body parts where it is needed. However, when it builds up, it forms plaques that narrow arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

What Leads to a Rise in Bad Cholesterol?

• Unhealthy Diet: Increased cravings for comfort foods can lead to excess sugar, trans fats, and processed foods. Eating too much unhealthy fat makes the liver produce excess LDL.
• Stress: Cortisol, also called the stress hormone, increases LDL.
• Genetics: Some people have genetic conditions (like Familial Hypercholesterolemia) that cause the liver to produce too much LDL or not clear it efficiently.
• Drop in Estrogen: In postmenopausal women, estrogen, an important hormone that maintains healthy cholesterol levels, declines.
• Less Physical Activity: Women may become less active, leading to weight gain and lower HDL.
• Smoking and Drinking: Smoking lowers HDL cholesterol, particularly in women, and raises LDL cholesterol.
• Medications: Some medicines taken for other health problems can raise bad cholesterol or lower good cholesterol. For example, steroids used for arthritis, retinoids for acne, and diuretics for high blood pressure.

How to Cure This Through Dietary Changes?

While my mother now follows her yoga routine daily, she sleeps less when she fights with me or my siblings. Yes, I try to do it less and ensure she doesn’t stress unnecessarily. But from my research on dietary changes, I found the following:

What to Eat?

• More fiber, such as oats, beans, and legumes.
• Green vegetables (spinach, fenugreek leaves, lettuce).
• Other vegetables such as garlic, carrot, cauliflower, bell pepper, karela, brinjal, ladyfinger, and ginger.
• Healthy fats (avocados, nuts, olive oil) and lean protein.

What to Avoid?

• Limit sugar.
• Limit processed foods, e.g., packaged snacks, fast food, and chips.
• Avoid bakery items like cakes, pastries, and cookies.
• Say no to maida (processed wheat)
• Avoid food made with palm oil and coconut oil
• Consume full-fat dairy; shift to cow dairy
• Avoid non-vegetarian food high in fatty acids, such as beef, pork, and lamb

Can Pickles Cure or Elevate Cholesterol Problems?

According to Ayurveda’s Charak Samhita, pickles are very healthy, act as probiotics, aid digestion, and even boost immunity. But can they help in curing cholesterol problems? It totally depends on which pickles you are eating. 

Three important components of pickles are: 

1. Vegetables Used – Choose pickles made with karela, amla (Indian gooseberry), garlic (lehsoon), carrot (gajar), and ginger (adrak).
2. Oil Used – Always read the pickle label. Pick pickles made with sunflower oil, peanut oil, mustard oil, soybean oil, or olive oil. If the oil is not mentioned, assume the quality is not good—it could be palm oil or other unhealthy oils.
3. Spices Used – Pickles contain spices that are not typically used in daily curries. For example:

• Fenugreek (Methi Dana): Inhibits cholesterol production by the liver and accelerates cholesterol breakdown.
• Kalonji (Nigella Seeds): Known for its cholesterol-lowering properties.
• Saunf (Fennel Seeds): Aids digestion and regulates cholesterol.

Recommended FarmDidi Pickles for Cholesterol Management

Being the founder of a top-rated pickle brand, I recommend the following FarmDidi pickles, which are amazing for managing cholesterol levels:

1. FarmDidi Garlic Pickle – Made with mustard oil, ginger paste, and contains fennel seeds (saunf) and fenugreek seeds (methi dana).
2. FarmDidi Amla Pickle – Made with sunflower oil and contains mustard dal and fenugreek (methi dana).
3. FarmDidi Karela Pickle – Made without any oil.
4. FarmDidi Mixed Pickle – Contains carrot and cauliflower with mustard oil, fennel seeds (saunf), kalonji (nigella seeds), and fenugreek seeds (methi dana).

Final Thoughts

• High cholesterol is manageable with diet and lifestyle changes.
• Eating the right foods can lower LDL and increase HDL naturally.
• Pickles can be healthy, provided they are made with good oil, cholesterol-friendly vegetables, and beneficial spices.