Cholesterol Lowering Foods

Due to the unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle most of us are leading today, high cholesterol levels is something scores of people across the globe are battling. It's always better to resort to natural cholesterol control, rather than depending on medication to bring down cholesterol levels.

This is because medications are always associated with some side effects, thus, lowering cholesterol without medication is the wisest thing to do. People with high cholesterol levels are asked to consume a healthy diet, with minimal amounts of saturated-fats and trans-fats, because this bad cholesterol can conduce to heart attacks and strokes.

One can reduce the cholesterol levels in the blood by making some changes in one's diet. There are some cholesterol lowering foods, which when consumed make an impact on one's cholesterol levels.

While consumption of high cholesterol foods like red meat, cheese, butter and eggs have to be limited, consuming a low cholesterol diet helps lower levels of bad cholesterol in the bloodstream. Let's have a look at the top ten foods for lowering cholesterol in no particular order.

Oatmeal comprises soluble fiber called beta glucan, which conduces to reduction of bad cholesterol levels. The soluble fiber forms a gel like substance when it comes in contact with water in our digestive tract.

This gel then binds acids and cholesterol in our digestive tract and prevents their re-absorption into the body, thereby assisting in lowering LDL cholesterol.Consuming one and a half cup a day will furnish your body with 4-5 grams of soluble fiber. Try purchasing oat bran, which is higher in nutritional value.

Consuming a high-fiber diet will also slash LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol levels or bad cholesterol in the blood. Fruits and vegetables are high in soluble fiber, which help prevent re-absorption of cholesterol. Although all fruits and vegetables have some amount of cholesterol lowering properties, apples are highly beneficial to the body.

Quercetin (flavonoid) present in apples prevent LDL accumulation in the bloodstream. Moreover, the pectin soluble fibers in apples also help in less cholesterol absorption by the body. Among the vegetables broccoli, eggplant and tomatoes are beneficial.

Soy is available in the form of beans, chunks, granules, flour, tofu, soy milk, etc. Consuming soy in any of these forms will help slash the amounts of saturated fats in the body. Both the soy protein and the isoflavones in soy help lower blood cholesterol.

The link between fish oil and triglycerides is not new. Fish oil is high in Omega-3 essential fatty acids, which directly contributes to heart health. The omega 3 fatty acids present in fish oil reduce triglyceride formation in the liver, thereby, reducing the levels of triglycerides in the blood.

Thus, it reduces the risk of heart attacks, brain disorders and even cancer. Eating two servings of fish a week, for example, salmon, mackerel, sardines, halibut, etc. will help lower bad cholesterol levels. Doctors recommend two servings of fish a week.

Drizzling some olive oil on your salad will definitely benefit your health. Olive oil comprises a mix of antioxidants that can lower one's LDL cholesterol, without touching one's HDL cholesterol. Eating 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil everyday is good, however, since olive oil is high in calories consuming more than required can cause one to gain weight.

Since olive oil is very expensive, one can try cooking in canola oil. Obtained from the rapeseed plant, this oil comprises high levels of plant sterols, especially β-sitosterol and campesterols. These plant sterols reduce cholesterol absorption in the intestines, thereby assisting bad cholesterol reduction. Thus, canola oil is a healthier option than vegetable oil.

Garlic has been found to lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce plaque accumulation on the arterial walls, thereby reducing the risk of heart attacks. The sulfur compounds found in garlic is what helps reduce cholesterol. Consuming both cooked or raw garlic benefits heart health.

Nuts are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is good cholesterol or HDL cholesterol. Raising level of good cholesterol in the blood contributes to heart health. Eating a handful of unsalted almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pecans and pistachio nuts is recommended. However, since these nuts are high in calories, it is important to have only a handful to avoid putting on weight.

Research reveals that tea is rich in antioxidants (flavonoids), which hinder LDL oxidation that conduces to its deposition of plaque on the walls of the arteries. Drinking a cup of hot tea everyday will benefit your body. Drinking green tea also helps cholesterol reduction.

Tea or nuts being good for cholesterol reduction is still believable, but can chocolate help in lowering cholesterol as well? Well, research reveals that consuming a small square of dark chocolate helps lower bad cholesterol. The flavonoids present in dark chocolate also help prevent blood clotting.

Moreover, about one-third of fat content in chocolate is in the form of stearic acid. This stearic acid is saturated fat, however, has neutral effects on blood cholesterol. Try and purchase dark chocolate with maximum cocoa content, because more the milk and sugar content, higher will be the saturated fats in it.

Legumes such as black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc. are all high in proteins and are good cholesterol lowering foods, due to their high soluble fiber content. Legumes also contain plant sterols which assist in cholesterol reduction. They are also rich in vitamins, iron, calcium and zinc. If one is short of time, one can also opt for the canned legumes.

Brown rice is nothing but hulled rice, with minimal nutrients lost during processing. This makes it overall more nutritious than white rice. It comprises oils that aid cholesterol reduction. Moreover, it also contains soluble fiber to add to the benefit.

Flaxseeds contain a group of chemical compounds or phytochemicals called lignan, which help reduce bad cholesterol levels in the body and raise levels of good cholesterol. They also contain alpha linolenic acids (a type of omega-3 fatty acid) in flaxseeds. Consuming flaxseeds on a daily basis will help reduce bad cholesterol by 14-18%. You can add some flaxseeds into your smoothie or cook it along with rice and eat.

Consuming these LDL cholesterol lowering foods will help cut bad blood cholesterol. However, it is important to remember that natural foods for lowering cholesterol are not supernatural food items, that will cause the unwanted cholesterol in the blood to disappear.

However, it definitely helps control the situation. Besides consuming some foods for lowering cholesterol, it is also important to refrain from consuming oily and fatty foods. Moreover, one should maintain a regular exercise regime. Regular exercise is essential to maintain proper cholesterol levels in the body.