What Foods Lower High Cholesterol?
Add these foods to your grocery list!
getty Cholesterol is a compound in the body, and when this waxy substance is too high, it impacts your health— but certain foods can lower unsafe levels.
What foods lower cholesterol?
Whole grains like oats and beans are fiber-rich foods that improve your heart health and can be eaten to bring high cholesterol down to a lower level.
Fatty deposits in your vessels lead to heart damage and put pressure on your circulatory system.
Diet, along with certain foods may lower high cholesterol levels when eaten in moderation daily.
Cholesterol is found in the healthiest of bodies, and some of it is good, but fast food, sweets, and fried snacks can create high cholesterol levels.
Bad plaque, made up of saturated and trans fats can build up in your veins and arteries and lead to serious health problems.
These unhealthy fats cause dangerous blockages leading to high cholesterol making it harder for your heart to pump blood throughout your body.
It's a good idea to limit the amount of bad cholesterol in your body.
This can be done through exercise but also by eating high fiber foods and substituting high cholesterol foods with less fatty ones.
High levels of cholesterol are found in fried foods, cheeses, whole dairy products, and some meats.
Once you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, your doctor may ask you to abstain or limit foods from these groups, but to reduce the amount of cholesterol in your body, you will want to make smart dietary choices.
Eaten alone or coupled with healthy lifestyle changes such as walking, swimming, or biking can help to lower high cholesterol levels in your body.
Here are a few foods that help to lower cholesterol when it has become too high:
Foods that lower cholesterol — fiber-rich foods
When it comes to lowering your cholesterol levels, fiber is a great way to reduce high cholesterol levels.
There two types of fiber: insoluble and soluble.
Insoluble fiber can’t be digested and passes through your body.
Soluble fiber, however, can be digested and absorbed in the intestines.
While in the intestines, soluble fiber will adhere to your intestinal wall and actually block cholesterol from entering the body!
So generally you want to look for foods heavy with fiber which will limit your body’s uptake of cholesterol during digestion.
Foods that lower cholesterol — oats
Oats are a food that lowers high cholesterol levels.
Oats have a ton of fiber and can be added to salads, shakes, cereal, and sprinkled on almost any meal you have throughout the day.
There are a number of oat derivatives to try, too. Oat milk and oat butter, which contain fiber, can be used to replace high cholesterol dairy products.
Oat products have other crucial compounds that can help limit cholesterol uptake and decrease high levels.
Foods that lower cholesterol — pears and apples
Pears and apples are foods that lower high cholesterol levels.
Both pears and apples have tough outer skins which are rich in fiber.
Apples and pears are great foods to eat when you want to lower your cholesterol levels.
People with high cholesterol can consume either or these as a guilt-free snack or side dish to any meal.
Foods that lower cholesterol — beans
Non-soy legumes lower high cholesterol levels.
Diets that include beans such as kidney, pinto, or lentil are a huge source of dietary fiber that lower high cholesterol levels.
Beans are affordable and can be used in salads, hummus, or even sandwiches.
Foods that lower cholesterol — seeds
Seeds lower high cholesterol levels, too.
Seeds have polyunsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats are essentially substitutes for your body when it comes to cholesterol.
Your body naturally produces some cholesterol regardless of diet.
But there are certain compounds that the body will want to use to create cholesterol.
What polyunsaturated fats do is take the place of other fats that would otherwise be used to create bad or excessive cholesterol.
Because of this, it is important to maximize the amount of polyunsaturated fat in your diet.
It is easy to recognize polyunsaturated fats because they will usually be liquid at room temperature.
Foods that lower cholesterol — vegetable oils
Vegetable oils can actually be heart-smart.
Vegetable oils such as canola, olive, and sunflower, are great sources of polyunsaturated fats, too.
These oils are liquid at room temperature and safe to incorporate into your diet in moderation.
Foods that lower cholesterol — fish and some seafood
Fatty fish, such as salmon or oysters, contain polyunsaturated oils.
Seek out either fatty fish such as salmon. If you're abstaining from fish in your diet, Omega-3 oils found in vitamins can be used as a substitute.
Foods that lower cholesterol — avocados
Avocados are healthy for the heart.
Avocados are unique as they contain solid polyunsaturated fats. But they’re still great in your diet and great at reducing cholesterol.
Foods that lower cholesterol — plant sterols and stanols
Plant Sterols and stanols are the hardest of these three groups to get into your food.
Generally, they are dispersed at low levels among different foods, making them more of a general nutrient than something you can look for.
However, there are still proven ways to get these into your diet.
Foods that lower cholesterol — nuts
Nuts typically have a lot of cholesterol-reducing sterols and stanols.
Nuts are heart-healthy because they also contain a good amount of polyunsaturated fats.
Foods that lower cholesterol — fortified foods
Because research has shown sterols and stanols to be effective at reducing cholesterol, food manufacturers have started to fortify their foods with them.
Look for any foods, such as cereals and some grain products that are advertised as sterol and stanol-fortified.
Matthew Ameduri is a writer who covers health, astrology, spirituality, love, and relationship topics.