Avocados. Avocados are a good source of nutrients as well as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Research suggests that the fiber from avocados can improve HDL cholesterol levels and the quality of LDL cholesterol. Adding two servings of avocado per week to a heart-healthy diet can lower your risk of heart disease.
A study from 2018 noted that, while eating avocados did not lower LDL cholesterol or fat levels, eating them did raise HDL cholesterol levels. This means that eating avocados as part of a balanced diet with less animal fat may positively impact HDL cholesterol levels. No one food makes a diet healthy or unhealthy.
After five weeks on the avocado diet, participants had significantly lower levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol than before the study began or after completing the low- and moderate-fat diets. Participants also had higher levels of lutein, an antioxidant, after the avocado diet.
The worst foods for high cholesterol, given their high saturated fat content, include: Red meat, like beef, pork, and lamb, as well as processed meats like sausage. Full-fat dairy, like cream, whole milk, and butter. Baked goods and sweets.
While coffee does not contain cholesterol, it can affect cholesterol levels. The diterpenes in coffee suppress the body's production of substances involved in cholesterol breakdown, causing cholesterol to increase. Specifically, coffee diterpenes may cause an increase in total cholesterol and LDL levels.
The fiber and potassium in bananas can reduce the level of cholesterol and blood pressure. Banana is especially known as a good source of soluble fibre which will gives one a healthy body and good immune system.
Therefore, eating avocado daily is the perfect addition to a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet; unless you're allergic to it, of course.
“Usually, I would recommend that ½ to one avocado a day is reasonable,” she says. She notes that since avocados are a pretty significant source of healthy monounsaturated fat, they make you more satisfied and are harder to overdo because they tend to fill you up.
Excess intake of avocados may cause hypersensitivity, allergy, liver damage, nausea, vomiting, asthma, and interaction with blood-thinning medications. In addition, if you are on a diet or are a pregnant or lactating mother, avoid consuming avocados.
In fact, researchers have found that avocados may protect the heart in a similar way as olive oil and nuts do in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. A 2018 analysis of 10 studies found an increase in HDL (protective cholesterol) in people who consumed an average of 1 to 3.7 avocados daily.
Apples are the best fruit to lower cholesterol.
Apples are one of the fruits with the highest amount of fiber, and they contain a specific type of soluble fiber called pectin.
Chicken eggs are an affordable source of protein and other nutrients. They're also naturally high in cholesterol. But the cholesterol in eggs doesn't seem to raise cholesterol levels the way some other foods, such as those high in trans fats and saturated fats, do.
Additionally, blueberries are considered a cholesterol-friendly food—they are high in LDL-lowering fiber and phytosterols, while also being low in saturated fat. There are many ways to include this delicious fruit in your cholesterol-lowering diet, including: blending blueberries into your favorite smoothie.
Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods
Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your LDL cholesterol.
Due to its high amount of unsaturated fats, peanut butter may help reduce a person's LDL cholesterol levels. Having optimal LDL levels is linked with a lower risk of heart disease. A 2015 study found that people who had a high intake of nuts may have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.
You don't have to cut cheese out of your diet, but if you have high cholesterol or blood pressure, use high-fat cheeses sparingly. A 30g portion of cheese provides seven per cent of your daily calories and there can be more salt in a portion of cheddar than in a packet of crisps.
“Chocolate doesn't increase cholesterol levels, but it doesn't decrease cholesterol levels either.” Still, cocoa — a major ingredient in chocolate — may prove to be the next frontier in health research, according to Kris-Etherton.
Age Related Changes to Cholesterol. Previous research indicates that total cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels increase with age among young and middle age adults and decline with age later in life [19,20,21,22,23,24].