Top Ten Cholesterol Lowering Foods

Cholesterol

Whenever it’s possible to avoid prescription medication for health problems by changing your diet or exercise regimen, that’s always a good thing, needless to say. Many medications, however helpful, seem to have some type of side effects, especially if taken long term, and especially cholesterol medications.

If you want to avoid taking prescription  medication for lowering your cholesterol, there are certain foods that will help you do that. The Harvard Medical School’s Health Beat put out information on the 10 foods that lower LDL, the “bad” cholesterol.

Different foods lower cholesterol in three days: Some have soluble fiber, which pulls cholesterol out of the body before getting into circulation. Some have polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. Others contain plant sterols and stanols that block the body from absorbing cholesterol.

So here are the foods you should eat more of on a daily basis. There aren’t very many that I wouldn’t want to eat anyway, with the possible exception of okra and tofu.

Top Ten Cholesterol Lowering Foods

1. Oats such as oatmeal or cold, oat-based cereal like Cheerios
2. Barley and other whole grains
3. Beans
4. Eggplant and Okra
5. Nuts
6. Vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower and safflower
7. Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits
8. Foods fortified with sterols and stanols, ranging from margarine and granola bars to orange juice and chocolate.
9. Soy products, tofu or soy milk
10. Fatty fish

It’s also important to cut down on saturated fats (red meat, milk and dairy foods, coconut and palm oils) and trans fats from your diet. Trans fats, which are present in foods such as cookies, crackers and cake frosting, not only boost LDL, but also lower protective HDL cholesterol, boost inflammation and increase the likelihood for blood clots to form inside blood vessels. People shouldn’t have more than two grams per day, but less is better, according to the Institute of Medicine.

A handful of nuts, a bowl of Cheerios or oatmeal, an orange and apple….they’re all easy to eat in one day. It is definitely better than remembering to take your cholesterol medication.

 

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Category: Cholesterol