Foods That Lower Cholesterol Fast

Why is it necessary to reduce high cholesterol levels? Simply because excess cholesterol clogs the arteries (blood vessels that transport blood to the heart), which increases the risk of heart attack. Patients with high cholesterol often opt for cholesterol lowering drugs like statins, however, there are natural remedies that seem to work better than prescription medicines. Including foods that lower cholesterol fast in the diet is a natural way to boost heart wellness.

Two types of cholesterol circulates in our blood. HDL cholesterol, also referred to as good cholesterol is beneficial to the heart. On the other hand, LDL cholesterol, better known as bad cholesterol is detrimental to heart health. The food items given below act like a burning machinery for bad cholesterol:

Nuts like almonds, pistachios and walnuts are a rich source of antioxidants and healthy fats (polyunsaturated fatty acids). Despite high calorie count, various studies have come with results that clearly indicate moderate consumption of nuts reduces bad cholesterol. A light snack of almonds or walnuts in the morning is an easy home remedy to keep cholesterol levels in check.

An important compound found in blueberries is pterostilbene, which displays fat fighting capabilities. In fact, this compound in blueberries is found to be more effective than other prescription drugs like ciprofibrate. The cholesterol fighting properties of pterostilbene clearly proves that blueberries are good for the heart.

Fruits like grapes, strawberries and apples also come in the list of foods that lower cholesterol naturally. Red grapes contain resveratrol, yet another cholesterol burning compound and so eating a bunch of red grapes can go a long way in cutting high cholesterol levels.

Eating oranges everyday is yet another way to drag cholesterol in the downward direction. A compound pectin found in oranges and apples does not allow cholesterol to get absorbed into the bloodstream.

Yogurt can also contribute in maintaining heart health. Yogurt that contains live cultures (good bacteria), does an excellent job of binding bile acid ( a byproduct of cholesterol). This activity carried by good bacteria is instrumental in lowering cholesterol naturally.

Fish, one of the most popularly consumed seafood, is high in omega 3 essential fatty acids and is considered to be one of the best cholesterol lowering foods. Various studies have proved that a diet rich in omega 3 essential fatty acids raises good cholesterol and reduces triglyceride levels.

No wonder, a Mediterranean style diet that primarily focuses on fatty fish is heart healthy. Just two servings of salmon every week provides adequate omega 3 essential fatty acids, thereby ensuring healthy cholesterol levels. Instead of fish, one can opt for fish oil to bring down cholesterol.

Just 25 grams of daily soluble fiber intake can reduce cholesterol levels by 15-18%. Fruits like apples, bananas and oranges as well as vegetables such as broccoli, lentils, kidney beans and peas are some of the soluble fiber foods that lower cholesterol levels. Even food items like oatmeal and oat bran are high in soluble fiber and exhibit cholesterol lowering properties.

Using healthy oil for cooking such as olive oil is equally important to keep cholesterol in the normal range. Olive oil contains some of powerful antioxidants and studies also show that olive oil has the potential to lower cholesterol.

Drinking orange juice everyday is found to elevate good cholesterol as well as reduce LDL to HDL cholesterol ratio. The cholesterol binding property of pectin is certainly helpful to promote heart health. Pomegranate juice also comes in the list of heart healthy drinks.

This is because the juice of pomegranate reduces the size of plaque (hardened deposits of cholesterol) in the arteries. In fact, a study has revealed that pomegranate juice could repair the damage caused by arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arterial wall).

1. Ditch Sedentary Lifestyle: Religiously follow an exercise routine and its benefits will soon be noticed when you undergo a blood test to check your cholesterol. To put simply, being physically active keeps your cholesterol in check and does not allow it to raise to abnormally high levels.

Also, daily exercise helps to lose excess weight, which is equally important to lower cholesterol.
2. Consume Red Wine Moderately: Drinking wine in moderation may help to keep heart safe from ailments. Red grapes, an important constituent of red wine is full of resveratrol.

Studies indicate that this chemical compound (resveratrol) helps in ensuring a healthy heart by 'snuffing out' the bad cholesterol.
3. Eat Meat Occasionally: Poultry products and red meat are high in saturated fats and so it is advisable to focus more on eating vegetables and fruits.

As far as eating meat is concerned, go for lean cuts of meat, which means removing excess fat and skin from the steak or chicken before cooking.
4. Stop Smoking: Give yourself a priceless gift by quitting smoking. The habit of puffing cigarettes causes bad cholesterol to escalate gradually. M

oreover, good cholesterol levels also go down, thereby increasing the risk of heart problems. In fact, studies suggest that one major benefit of giving up smoking is that it may increase good cholesterol.

5. Give Up High Cholesterol Foods: Foodstuffs such as cheese burger, processed meat (sausages), organ meats, egg yolk, French fries are loaded with bad cholesterol. These dietary sources of cholesterol, eventually increase blood cholesterol, hence need to be excluded from the diet.

6. Embrace Healthy Cooking: Cooking methods such as deep frying can raise bad cholesterol naturally. So, whenever you are planning your meals make sure to cook food in a healthy way. Cooking techniques like grilling, steaming, baking and broiling are helpful as far as bringing down cholesterol numbers are concerned.

7. Cut Back on Salt Intake: Although the amount of salt in your daily diet does not have any direct impact on your cholesterol levels, yet one should avoid eating excess salt. High cholesterol patients already face the risk of heart problems and with too much salt consumption the risk increases manifold.

This is because adding salt more than needed can eventually cause high blood pressure, which is considered to be a precursor to heart ailments. So, avoiding salty snacks and adding salt sensibly is essential to prevent further complications.