Cholesterol Lowering Foods
Cholesterol is not something that you should take lightly, and the purpose of this page is to provide you with as much information as possible about all of the foods to lower cholesterol, foods high in cholesterol, and cholesterol lowering foods.
The diet you follow up will play a major role in your overall health, and eating the right food is important if you want to keep the levels of harmful LDL cholesterol in your body low. While you should avoid high cholesterol foods and eat low cholesterol foods, there are certain foods that lower cholesterol effectively if it gets too high.
The foods to lower cholesterol are foods that will efficiently counter the effects of the LDL cholesterol in your body. While they are not magic beans that will sprout cholesterol-absorbing beanstalks, they are foods that will go a long way in helping you to restore healthy cholesterol levels in your body. These are the foods that you should eat a lot of when your cholesterol is very high as these foods can make a big difference in dropping your LDL level when it gets out of control.
Top Foods For Lowering Cholesterol
The foods below are all foods that lower cholesterol either by absorbing it, blocking it, or preventing the production of LDL cholesterol. All of the foods below will be an important part of your lower cholesterol diet, and you will find some nifty recipes that can help you to prepare them in a way that will be tasty and very effective at lowering LDL levels in your body:
1. Soy
Those who are looking to lower their cholesterol will find that soy protein is one of the best alternatives to red meat. Seeing as red meat contains high amounts of saturated fats that become cholesterol, it is best to avoid red meat and replace it with other forms of protein. Soy protein is one such protein that will be low in cholesterol, as it contains hardly any saturated fat. It is, however, very rich in amino acids, and will be an excellent replacement for red meat.
Soy is an excellent protein that will provide you with all of the amino acids you need to remain healthy, but it is incredibly low in fat and is a low-fat and low cholesterol alternative. The FDA recommends eating roughly 25 grams of protein per day, so eating that many grams of soy protein will be perfect for your low cholesterol food list.
Cooking Tips:
Rather than eating a bowl of soy protein, try drinking soy milk or eating tofu. Don’t like tofu and soy milk? Try mixing up soy protein in a nice pasta sauce or ceviche, just make sure to soak it first. Mix up a batch of chili beans with soy protein instead of ground beef, or shop for soy products in your local supermarket. Soy provides a viable alternative for getting as much protein as possible with very little LDL.
2. Beans
Beans, while being the magical fruit, are some of the best things that you can eat due to the fact that they will help to lower your cholesterol significantly. Beans are rich in fiber, a nutrient that is needed to reduce LDL in the body. Beans also contain plenty of minerals and vitamins, and are one of the best sources of protein.
Fiber is one of the main ingredients that help to prevent cholesterol from being absorbed into the body from the intestinal tract, and thus should be consumed as much as possible. Eat no less than 25 grams of beans per day for an excellent source of protein that will be as delicious as it will be healthful.
Cooking Tips:
While you may enjoy a bowl of baked beans, try using turkey as an alternative to bacon or regular ham. A bowl of chili beans with soy protein will provide you with the benefits of both soy and beans, or you can whip up some Mexican refried beans to be served with Spanish red rice. Just because you are eating healthy foods to lower cholesterol doesn’t mean you have to suffer, which is why you can add beans to your fresh salad. Beans are some of the best cholesterol lowering foods, and can be prepared in many delicious ways.
3. Fish
All fish are good for your body, and they are some of the best cholesterol lowering foods. However, of all the foods to lower cholesterol, salmon is one of the best. Salmon is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which is one of the nutrients needed to build HDL while reducing LDL levels in your body. You can eat tuna, mackerel, albacore, sardines, and herring as much as you want, though be sure that you eat only the fish that are low in mercury.
Fish in general is rich in protein, though salmon is the best due to the fact that it contains the most concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids. Eat no less than two servings of fish per week, as that way you can get as much Omega-3 as your body needs to fight the cholesterol.
Cooking Tips:
Many people simply put the fish in the oven to bake, adding a simple garnish of lemon and herbs to make it extra tasty. You may find that using a combination of chili powder, fish sauce, and ginger will make a tasty Oriental style fish, or you can even make a tasty fish soup that is rich in vegetables. Grilled fish is always a hit, and adding a bit of corn, chopped cucumbers, and a splash of vinegar to a can of tuna is the best way to make it presentable. Just make sure to eat the fish with whole wheat bread, crackers, or brown rice.
4. Avocadoes
Avocadoes are one of the vegetables that contain the highest amounts of fat, and yet the fat contained in the avocadoes is actually good for your body. You will find that the monounsaturated fats in an avocado will help to lower your LDL levels effectively, and will help to raise HDL cholesterol.
You will find that avocadoes are also rich in beta-sitosterol, a plant based sterol fat that will help to quickly and efficiently lower cholesterol levels in your body by blocking it from being absorbed as you eat. Be wary with this vegetable, however, as it is fairly high in fat. Use it to replace another food that is high in fat, such as cheese or cream. The FDA recommends no more than 30 grams of fat per day for a 1800 calorie diet, which is exactly what an avocado contains.
Cooking Tips:
Of all the cholesterol lowering foods, avocadoes are one of the most versatile. One of the tastiest uses of the vegetable is mixing it with lemonade to make a creamy drink, or you can whip up a batch of guacamole to serve with your tacos instead of sour cream. Use avocado slices as a garnish for your dishes, or use it to add substance to a light salad. Remember that you shouldn’t eat too much of the vegetable, but enjoy it in nearly any dish that you prepare.
5. Garlic
Garlic has many unique abilities, one of which is its ability to drive away vampires and friends alike. However, garlic also has nearly magical properties when it comes to lowering LDL, as it helps to prevent plaque from building up and clogging the arteries. It does this by preventing the individual particles of cholesterol from accumulating on the walls of your arteries, thus stopping any buildups.
Aside from its benefits as cholesterol lowering foods, you will find that adding garlic to your diet plan will help to reduce your blood pressure, stop your blood from clotting, and boost your immune system. Eat between 2 and 4 cloves of fresh garlic every day for the best results. While you may not make many friends that way, you will be doing your body a great service by protecting it against high cholesterol. And vampires, of course.
Cooking Tips:
Eating fresh garlic may not be your idea of a good time, but you may find that you can suck it down without tasting it too much by adding it to a cup of freshly squeeze orange juice. You can also use it as a topping for pizza, or to add flavor to your soy protein and whole wheat noodle pasta. You may find that you will come to enjoy the flavor of the fresh garlic, and your body will certainly benefit from the benefits of the aromatic vegetable.
6. Spinach
Spinach is one of the superfoods that will keep your body healthy and young, due to the fact that it contains high amounts of antioxidants. However, aside from antioxidants, it also contains lutein. Lutein is one of the main combatants in the war against degenerative muscle diseases, and it also helps to prevent cholesterol from building up on the walls of your arteries.
Try eating as much as a cup of spinach per day in order to provide your body with one of the best cholesterol lowering foods, though more is better. Try to find little bags of spinach in the supermarket, though the fresh spinach sold at farmers markets are the freshest and thus the healthiest.
Cooking Tips:
Try avoid cooking the spinach if at all possible, though you can stir fry lightly with a few pieces of garlic if you must cook it. You may also find that making a fresh spinach salad with tomatoes and avocadoes will be a great way to whip up a batch of the cholesterol lowering foods, or you can make a low fat dairy and spinach sandwich with veggies on whole wheat toast.
7. Margarine
Though you might think that margarine is actually bad for your body, you might be surprised to learn that it has a property that blocks cholesterol from being absorbed by your body. The cholesterol that is in your bile and food is what causes the dangerous buildups of cholesterol, but eating certain types of margarine that contains plant sterols is one of the best natural remedies for high cholesterol.
Of all the foods that lower cholesterol, margarine that is rich in plant sterols can lower your levels of LDL by as much as 14%. Three servings of the sterol-rich margarine per day is enough to lower your total blood cholesterol by as much as 10%, and even a serving or two per day can be enough to significantly reduce your LDL in a matter of weeks.
Cooking Tips:
One of the best ways to enjoy the margarine is with a whole wheat bagel that has been toasted, though any type of whole wheat toast will be a viable option. You may also want to try eating the margarine with potatoes, as they are rich in fiber and potassium. Add margarine for cooking instead of butter, and use it to add flavor without increasing cholesterol levels in your body. Be aware that it lowers the ability of your body to absorb beta-carotene, so eat plenty of colorful greens to provide a balance.
8. Nuts
Going nutty may mean you are out of your mind, but you can add some nuts to your cholesterol lowering diet as one of the best foods to lower cholesterol. Nuts contain plenty of monounsaturated fats that will help to fight LDL and keep HDL levels high, and they are rich in copper, magnesium, Vitamin E, and many other nutrients that will nourish your heart. Some nuts contain plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids, and oils produced from nuts will be much healthier than safflower or corn oils that contain polyunsaturated fats. Try to get a couple of tablespoons of nuts per day, or eat a handful of nuts three to five times per week to obtain their health benefits.
Cooking Tips:
If you don’t like the way that the nuts taste raw, try cooking them up yourself by placing them in a skillet and toasting them lightly on all sides. Avoid adding salt or flavorings, but eat them cooked. You can add nuts to a delicious salad, or even make your own assorted nuts snack with raw nuts. As long as you keep your consumption of the nuts down, you will find that they are some of the best foods for lowering cholesterol.
9. Tea
Tea is rich in antioxidants, one of the main nutrients that you need to fight cholesterol and keep your body healthy. Tea helps to fight blood clots, relax the walls of your blood vessels, keep your blood pressure low, and prevent LDL from oxidizing and building up as plaque on your arterial walls. It doesn’t matter how you drink the tea, but you should try to drink at least one cup of your favorite green or black tea at least once every day.
Cooking Tips:
Remember that tea doesn’t have to be hot to be enjoyable, but cold tea can be made just as tasty. Avoid buying tea already brewed from a convenience store, but always purchase tea bags that you can make at home. Don’t add any sugar to your tea, but add lemon and a bit of honey if you can’t drink it straight. You may find that sun-brewed tea is some of the best and most natural tea that will be rich in antioxidants.
10. Chocolate
Yes, that’s right, chocolate is one of the best cholesterol lowering foods due to the fact that it is rich in flavonoids. Flavonoids are antioxidants that prevent the platelets in your blood from clumping together, and can help to prevent your arteries from becoming clogged with LDL particles.
Obviously the dark chocolates will be the best ones to eat, as they are the ones that have the most flavonoids. The lighter the chocolate, the less flavonoids contained, and white chocolate has absolutely nothing of value to offer you. Studies have proven that roughly an ounce of chocolate per day is one of the best ways to lower cholesterol naturally, as it helps to prevent the oxidation of LDL and increases HDL levels.
Cooking Tips:
Don’t cook your chocolate, as cooking the chocolate causes some of the antioxidants to be destroyed by the heat. Try the darkest chocolate that you can find, as that will ensure that you get the chocolate that is as rich in flavonoids as possible.
Foods to Lower Cholesterol
If you want to know how to lower cholesterol, you will find that these foods will be the best solution for you. A good low cholesterol diet plan will contain most of the following foods due to their ability to lower cholesterol:
Oats are high on every the list, thanks to the simple fact that they are rich in fiber. The soluble fiber contained in oatmeal will reduce the LDL levels in your body, and even 5 or10 gramsof this fiber will be instrumental in helping lower your cholesterol. You can make your bowl of oats tastier and more effective by adding a banana to it, which contains additional fiber that will help lower your cholesterol even more. Oats also contain beta-glucol, which helps to absorb the LDL, process it, and expel it from the body in your excrement.
Red wine has been found to help reduce the levels of LDL in the body. A study in Spain showed that the levels of LDL decreased by 9% in those who consumed a supplement found in red wine.
Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats that fight high LDL cholesterol levels, and they even help you to lose weight. You will find that using olive oil to dress your salads, marinate your meats, and cook vegetables will help you to lower your levels of cholesterol, all without altering your HDL levels. Extra virgin olive oil will have the most benefits, but virgin olive oil will be nearly as good and not as costly.
These are the best foods to lower your cholesterol levels naturally.