5 Foods that Fight High Cholesterol

5 Foods that Fight High Cholesterol

What you eat can result in an alarmingly high cholesterol level, and the reverse is true too. It’s good to know which foods balance cholesterol levels.

Changing what you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the composition of the fleet of fats floating aimlessly through your bloodstream. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats are all part of a heart-healthy diet. However, there are some foods that are particularly good at helping to bring down cholesterol.

Some cholesterol-lowering foods deliver a good dose of soluble fibre, which binds to cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and draws them out of the body before they have a chance of getting into circulation. Polyunsaturated fats directly lower LDL, or "bad" cholesterol and other foods provide a good source of these important fats.  Those foods with plant sterols and stanols keep the body from absorbing cholesterol.

Oats.

Oats is an easy way to begin lowering cholesterol.  Oats gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fibre. You can simply add a banana or some strawberries for another half-gram.

Beans.

Beans are an especially rich soluble fibre food. They also take a while for the body to digest, meaning you will feel full for longer after a meal.

Nuts.

Many studies show that eating almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and other nuts is good for the heart.

Foods fortified with sterols and stanols.

Sterols and stanols extracted from plants increase your body's ability to absorb cholesterol from food. Manufacturers are now adding them to a wide variety of foods. They're also available as supplements.

Fatty fish.

Eating fish two or three times a week can lower due to its supply of omega-3 fats. Omega-3s reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream and also protect the heart.