For people with creeping cholesterol levels, a healthier diet can go a long way.
Revamping what you eat can often seem intimidating – and expensive – on its face, but there are many accessible foods that can help you lower your cholesterol and leave you feeling brighter and stronger.
What Causes High Cholesterol?
“Bad” cholesterol, or LDL, comprises the majority of the body’s cholesterol. Excess LDL can build up in the walls of the blood vessels, raising the risk of health problems like heart disease and stroke.
Switching to foods that provide polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL, and others that contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the absorption of cholesterol, can lower your numbers, according to Harvard Medical School.
Foods that contain a meaningful amount of soluble fiber – which binds to cholesterol in the digestive system and drags it out of the body before it enters the circulatory system – or foods that contain anti-inflammatory compounds can also help, said Christina Manian, a dietitian and sustainable food systems professional.
Foods That Lower ‘Bad’ Cholesterol
Avocados: Full of monounsaturated fats, fiber and plant sterols, avocados are an effective tool to reduce cholesterol.
Legumes: Think beans, lentils, chickpeas and peas. Rich in soluble fiber, legumes can significantly help lower cholesterol. They also take longer for the body to digest, leaving you more satisfied after a meal and making them a great choice for weight loss.
Almonds: Through a combination of healthy unsaturated fats, fiber and antioxidant-rich vitamin E, almonds can help lower LDL. Substituting them as a daily snack – a study found almond snacks lowered cholesterol more than calorie-matched crackers – is also effective.
Oats: Oat-based products contain the soluble fiber beta-glucan which removes cholesterol-containing bile acids in the gut and can lower LDL in people with dyslipidemia. A recommended amount is 5 to 10 grams of fiber daily (roughly 1.5 to 2 cups of cooked oatmeal.)
Dark chocolate: When consumed in moderation – a small square of extra dark chocolate, with a high cocoa concentration – dark chocolate can 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 LeeAnn Weintraub.
