Top 5 Cholesterol Lowering foods
If you are overweight and have high cholesterol, a few simple changes to your diet may be sufficient to help you lose weight and lower your “bad” cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), to healthy levels without the need for medication. Try incorporating these five foods into your diet:
- Oatmeal. The soluble fiber present in oatmeal (and in other foods such as kidney beans, barley, prunes, apples, and pears) seems to affect how cholesterol is absorbed by your intestines. By consuming at least 10 grams of soluble fiber a day, you can see both your LDL and total cholesterol reach healthier levels.
- Nuts. The polyunsaturated fatty acids found abundantly in walnuts, almonds, and other nuts work to keep your blood vessels healthy, reducing your cholesterol. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends eating a handful a day of most nuts, although more than a handful could cause weight gain, as nuts are high in calories.
- Fish. Filled with omega-3 fatty acids, fatty fish should be eaten to lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and decrease the risk of blood clots. Try to eat at least two servings of fish a week, ideally baked or grilled for the highest benefit, and if you want to eat the healthiest fish, try mackerel, trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, or salmon.
- Olive Oil. Olive oil contains antioxidants that can lower your LDL cholesterol if added to your diet. The FDA suggests using 2 tablespoons per day for the most benefit. You can cook vegetables in it, use it in a marinade or salad dressing, or even substitute it for butter when basting meat.
- Foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols. Sterols and stanols are substances present in plants that have been found to block the absorption of cholesterol. You can find sterols in specially marked packages of margarine, orange juice, and yogurt. Try to consume at least 2 grams of sterols a day for the strongest results. That’s the equivalent of two 8-ounce glasses of sterol-fortified orange juice per day.