For people with rising cholesterol levels, a healthy diet can prove to be quite helpful.
Changing what you eat may seem intimidating and expensive at first, but there are many foods that can help lower your cholesterol and make you feel brighter and stronger.
What causes high cholesterol?
“Bad” cholesterol, or LDL, comprises most of the cholesterol in the body. Excess LDL can deposit in the walls of blood vessels, increasing the risk of health problems like heart disease and stroke.
According to Harvard Medical School, switching to foods that provide polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL, and others that contain plant sterols and stanols, which block cholesterol absorption, can lower your numbers.
Foods that contain adequate amounts of soluble fiber — which binds cholesterol in the digestive tract and flushes it out of the body before it enters the circulatory system — or foods that contain anti-inflammatory compounds can also help, said dietitian and sustainable food systems professional Christina Mannion.
Foods that reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol
- Avocado: Rich in monounsaturated fats, fiber and plant sterols, avocado is an effective tool for reducing cholesterol.
- beans: Think beans, lentils, chickpeas and peas. Legumes rich in soluble fiber can help a lot in reducing cholesterol. These take longer for the body to digest, making you more satisfied after meals and making them a great option for weight loss.
- Almond: Through a combination of healthy unsaturated fats, fiber, and antioxidant-rich vitamin E, almonds may help lower LDL. Substituting them as a daily snack — one study found that almond snacks reduced cholesterol more than calorie-matched crackers — is also effective.
- Oats: Oat-based products contain the soluble fiber beta-glucan that removes cholesterol-rich bile acids in the intestine and may reduce LDL in people with dyslipidemia. The recommended amount is 5 to 10 grams of fiber per day (about 1.5 to 2 cups of cooked oatmeal.)
- dark chocolate: When consumed in moderation – a small square of extra dark chocolate, with a higher cocoa concentration – dark chocolate may help lower LDL and aid heart health.
Other foods that lower cholesterol include tofu and edamame, and leafy greens like broccoli and kale, apples and citrus, said dietitian Leanne Weintraub.