Fill Up on Fiber
Foods like oatmeal, apples, prunes, and beans are high in soluble fiber, which keeps your body from absorbing cholesterol. Research shows that people who ate 5 to 10 more grams of it each day saw a drop in their LDL.
Eating a lot of foods high in saturated fats raises “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. Saturated fats are found in fatty cuts of meat and dairy products. No more than 10% of your daily calories should come from saturated fats. Smoking lowers HDL cholesterol, particularly in women, and raises LDL cholesterol.
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 American Heart Association recently certified potatoes as a low-fat, low-cholesterol food, meaning that it may be safe to consume in moderation as part of a heart healthy diet.
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. Grapes get into the bloodstream and carry all the bad cholesterol into the liver where it gets processed.
To lower your cholesterol levels, the American Heart Association suggests adhering to a heart-healthy diet that is low in saturated and trans fats. Drinks to avoid that are high in saturated and trans fats include the following: Tea or Coffee with added creamers, whipped cream, or high-fat milk.
The bad cholesterol is called LDL and the good cholesterol is called HDL. When people have high cholesterol their LDL (bad) is high and their HDL (good) is low. Eating healthy, regular exercise and drinking plenty of water will help to bring down cholesterol levels within 2-3 weeks.
Cheese is a great source of protein and calcium but is often high in saturated fat and salt. This means eating too much could lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
People with raised cholesterol often wonder if it's OK to eat eggs, as egg yolk is rich in cholesterol. Generally speaking, it should be fine for most people, as the cholesterol in eggs does not have a significant effect on blood cholesterol. It's much more important to limit the amount of saturated fat you eat.
If it's nonstop and lasts for a long time, your stress hormones remain at high levels and put a dangerous strain on your heart and other parts of your body. High levels of cortisol from chronic or long-term stress can cause high blood cholesterol, along with other heart disease risks.
Heart Health
Greek yogurt has been connected to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which can reduce your risk of heart disease. Cholesterol and triglycerides can harden or block your arteries over time, leading to heart disease or atherosclerosis.
A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that eating yogurt can lower total cholesterol levels by up to 4%. Yogurt contains probiotics, which can help to improve digestion and reduce inflammation.
Apples are the best fruit to lower cholesterol.
For example, oats can help because of their high fiber content, while certain fish can aid in lowering cholesterol because of their omega-3 levels. So what is it about apples specifically that makes them the best cholesterol-lowering fruit?
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.
It is possible for lifestyle changes to change cholesterol levels within weeks. However, it may take longer, usually about 3 months — sometimes more. Some doctors recommend adding a cholesterol-lowering drug if a person has not lowered their LDL cholesterol after about 12 weeks of lifestyle changes.
When planning meals for your cholesterol-lowering diet, it's important to select whole grain bread, pasta, and cereals and to avoid refined, processed grains, which are found in foods like egg noodles, white bread, pastries, muffins, and crackers.
Note: Cholesterol is only found in animal products. Fruits, vegetables, grains and all other plant foods do not have any cholesterol at all.
Since it is easier to get higher amounts of saturated fat from red meat, switching to chicken can help manage blood cholesterol. A study shows that including lean skinless chicken alongside fish can reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol.