Have you been diagnosed with a high cholesterol level? Or are you worried about how to lower the bad cholesterol in your blood? Then, you just have clicked the right blog page.
Yes, changing your diet can help you lower your cholesterol and improve the flow of lipids in your bloodstream. Furthermore, eating foods that help keep cholesterol at a healthy level will help you avoid health problems including heart attacks and strokes.
Here, I am going to enlist top foods to lower cholesterol that you can incorporate in your diet.
But first let’s see what cholesterol is and how it damages your heart.
Table of Contents
Cholesterol: What is it?
Cholesterol is a waxy component that pass through the bloodstream in the form of two types of lipoproteins: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
LDL cholesterol is commonly referred to as ‘bad cholesterol’. Because it causes fatty deposits to form in blood vessels. These deposits can obstruct blood flow, resulting in heart attacks or strokes.
HDL cholesterol, sometimes known as ‘good cholesterol’. It aids in the removal of cholesterol from the body via the liver. High HDL cholesterol levels can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
How Does Food Control Cholesterol Level?
Cholesterol diet reduces cholesterol in different ways. These include:
- Some foods contain soluble fibre, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system. Then, push LDL cholesterol out of the body before they reach the bloodstream.
- Some provide polyunsaturated fats, which help to decrease LDL cholesterol.
- In addition some contain plant sterols and stanols. They prevent cholesterol from being absorbed by the body.
Cholesterol Diet: What Should You Eat to Lower LDL Cholesterol?
Now, let’s dig into those foods that may help you lower LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream.
1- Fiber Rich Eggplant
Eggplant is a dietary fiber rich diet. It contains 3 grams of fiber per 100 grams of serving. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), dietary fibres such as in eggplant helps lower blood cholesterol levels. It also lowers the chances of developing following diseases:
- Obesity
- Diabetes type 2
- Heart diseases
- Stroke
2- Bountiful Avocado
Avocados are one of the most nutrient-dense fruits available. They’re high in monounsaturated fats and fibre. This can help lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and raise ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.
Avocados have been shown to decrease cholesterol in clinical tests. In one study, obese and overweight persons with high LDL cholesterol who ate one avocado daily had lower LDL levels than those who didn’t.
So, you can add avocado slices as a cholesterol diet to your salads and sandwiches, or eat them as a side dish. Furthermore, avocado oil, which has a mild, sweet flavour, can also be substituted for other cooking oils.
3- Fish – A Great Food to Lower Cholesterol
Fish is one of the best cholesterol diets that is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. These acids may lower LDL in two ways: by replacing red meat with LDL-lowering omega-3 fats and by giving LDL-lowering saturated fats. Also, these acids lower blood pressure and the risk of blood clots.
Try to add 8 ounces of fish in your weekly diet to get dramatic health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. Don’t fry fish to keep it healthy. You can bake or grill it.
Some of the omega-3 rich fish include
- Salmons
- Tuna
- Sardines
- Mackerel
Read about: Is it safe to drink milk after fish?
4- Olive Oil – A Versatile Plant Based Fat
Another food to lower cholesterol include olive oil. It is a plant based fat. So, it’s a healthier choice than animal-based fats when it comes to lowering “bad” cholesterol.
How can you use olive oil to lower cholesterol?
You may use olive oil to sauté vegetables, add it to a marinade, or make a salad dressing by mixing it with vinegar. You can also use olive oil instead of butter when basting meat or as a dip for bread.
Read about olive oil benefits.
5- Oats – Another Food to Lower Cholesterol
Breakfast with a bowl of oatmeal or oat-based cereal is a simple step in lowering cholesterol. Oats contain beta-glucan in high amounts. Beta-glucan is a form of soluble fibre that aids in cholesterol reduction.
On average, saturating your diet with five to ten grams of soluble fibre each day lowers your LDL cholesterol. A bowl of oatmeal or oat bran breakfast cereal has 3 to 4 grams of fibre. You can get even more fibre by adding fruit, such as a banana or berries.
Fact: Consuming oats can reduce total cholesterol by 5% and bad LDL cholesterol by 7%.
6- Barley – A Wholesome Wholegrain
Barley is a nutritious grain high in vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Beta-glucan, a soluble dietary fibre found in barley, can aid in the reduction of LDL cholesterol. How? By retaining bile acids and restricting how much cholesterol the body receives during digestion, beta-glucan lowers LDL cholesterol.
Apart from food to lower cholesterol, barley’s beta-glucan has a beneficial influence on the gut microbiome and blood glucose regulation, which benefits heart health even more.
7- Opt for Nuts
Nuts are also among the cholesterol diet that you should add to prevent heart diseases. They are a rich source of unsaturated fats that help decrease the levels of bad cholesterol. Importantly, they substitute the saturated fats in your diet.
Furthermore, they are among the best dietary fibre rich foods. They aid the body to prevent cholesterol absorption thereby promoting its excretion. Some of the heart-healthy nuts include:
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pistachios
- Hazelnuts
- Cashews
Just sprinkle these nuts on a salad or eat them straight from the bag as a snack.
8- Soy Foods
Soy foods such as soy milk, soy yoghurt, and tofu are high in protein. The researchers found that soy protein can lower LDL cholesterol in adults by 3–4%, firmly establishing its place in a cholesterol-lowering diet.
How to use soy foods? You can eat edamame as a snack. Cereal can be topped with soy milk. Stir-fries can be made with tofu instead of meat.
9- Go For Fruits & Berries
Apples, grapes, and pears are rich in pectin. Pectin is a type of fibre that can help decrease cholesterol levels. Citrus fruits like oranges and lemons have the same effect.
Also, berries are abundant in fibre. Eating berries can help you get rid of bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.
Go ahead! Make a fruitful change in your life and become free of bad cholesterol.
10- Add Dark Chocolate and Cocoa
Flavonoids and antioxidants found in dark chocolate, can reduce LDL cholesterol levels. Just remember to eat chocolate in moderation, as it is heavy in saturated fat and sugar.
Furthermore, to achieve similar heart-healthy results, you can use dark and unsweetened cocoa powder in your cuisine.
Wrapping Up!
It’s critical to keep LDL cholesterol levels low since it lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. This can be accomplished by eating foods to lower cholesterol such as high-fibre fruits and vegetables, nuts, fatty fish, soy, whole grains, and dark chocolate on occasion.
If you have any queries relevant to high cholesterol signs or symptoms, you can consult a well-known cardiologist in Lahore. You can also make an appointment via Healthwire.pk or make a phone call at 04232500989.
