Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that your body needs for good health, but in moderation.
Lipoproteins are small round particles made up of lipids (fats) and proteins. These particles transport cholesterol in your blood and throughout your body.
The two types of lipoproteins include:
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), sometimes called “bad” cholesterol
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL), sometimes called “good” cholesterol
For people with high cholesterol, making dietary changes can help lower high cholesterol levels effectively.
Here are the top 7 cholesterol-lowering foods:
1. Beans
Adding beans to your diet is good for your health in many ways. First, beans are a good source of protein and can replace foods that are high in saturated fat. Beans are a great substitute for meat. Second, beans are high in soluble fiber, which can help lower LDL levels.
Add more beans to your diet by adding them to soups, salads, or burritos. You can also replace beef burgers with vegetarian black bean patties.
2. Nuts
Nuts are a great source of protein, unsaturated fats, and soluble fiber. When used in place of animal products that contain saturated fat, they prevent high LDL cholesterol levels, while their soluble fiber can help lower LDL. Additionally, research suggests that nuts may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Because nuts are so energy-dense, you’ll want to limit your serving size to about an ounce and make sure the brand you choose is low in added sugar and salt. You can include them in your diet as a handful of snacks, sprinkle them on salads, or add nut butter to sandwiches or smoothies.
3. Olive Oil
Vegetable oils in general are a good source of heart-healthy fats, as long as they are liquid at room temperature. Olive oil in particular is a great heart-healthy oil that can replace unhealthy fats and promote good heart health.
Add olive oil to your diet by using it instead of butter on bread, using it as a dressing, and using it for sautéing, frying, and roasting.
If you are concerned about the heat resistance of olive oil, one study found that extra virgin olive oil is the most stable cooking oil, resisting breakdown better than oils with higher smoke points.
4. Seeds
Seeds are often overlooked as a source of heart-healthy fats, and they are also high in soluble fiber. Seeds do double duty, as they are not only high in fiber, but also high in unsaturated fats.
Examples include chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. When it comes to adding these nuts to your diet, ways to add them to oatmeal include adding ground flaxseeds, using sunflower butter in sandwiches, adding chia seeds to pudding, or snacking on roasted pumpkin seeds.
5. Apples
Apples are a great source of soluble fiber, which can help lower your LDL levels. Research has found that study participants who ate 550 grams of apples a day had lower cholesterol levels at the end of the study. This effect was not seen in study participants who drank clear apple juice, which removes the fiber.
Since the fiber is mostly in the apple skin, you’ll want to leave the skin on. Ideas for adding apples include eating whole apples as a snack, eating sliced apples with a little heart-healthy natural peanut butter, or making applesauce without the skin.
6. Avocado
Anything with avocado has a good ratio of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. While both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are great for lowering cholesterol, too much polyunsaturated fat can also lower your good cholesterol.
Your goal is to strike a balance between the two types of unsaturated fats, which you can do by making sure your diet includes a variety of heart-healthy fats.
To add more avocado, you can use avocado oil when cooking or add it to salads, sandwiches, or burritos.
7. Fatty Fish
Adding fatty fish, such as anchovies, black cod, mackerel, or salmon, can lower cholesterol in several ways. First, fatty fish can be used as a substitute for other protein sources that are high in saturated fat. Second, fatty fish are high in unsaturated fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
