Power Foods to Lower High Cholesterol
“I was recently diagnosed with high cholesterol and am trying to get it back to a healthy level by improving my diet. What are the best foods for lowering cholesterol, and what foods should I stay away from?”
Dear Curious About Cholesterol,
I am thrilled to hear that you are being proactive and taking the initiative to make some change to your diet! We’ve all heard the saying “You are what you eat”, and the great news is that you can truly transform your health by changing the ingredients you choose to put in your body.
According to Harvard Health, the power foods you want to be incorporating to lower cholesterol are soluble fiber, polyunsaturated fats, and plant sterols/stanols. Soluble fiber binds cholesterol and drags it out of the body before it begins to circulate. Polyunsaturated fats are able to directly lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Plant sterols and stanols prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol.
To boost your intake of soluble fiber, try eating more oats and beans. These are both highly versatile and easily accessible ingredients. To see a list of additional fiber-rich foods and the fiber content per serving size, see this article by Harvard Health.
For polyunsaturated fats, eat nuts and fatty fish two to three times a week. The omega-3s in fatty fish reduce the amount of triglycerides in the bloodstream and keep the heart protected from abnormal heart rhythms.
Plant sterols and stanols are now being added to many foods because of their ability to prevent the body from absorbing excess cholesterol. You can also take sterols/stanols in supplement form. According to Harvard Health, you can lower your LDL-cholesterol by 10% by consuming 2 grams of plant sterols and stanols a day, and for every 10% drop in your cholesterol level, your risk for a heart attack falls by 20%-30%!
Keep in mind that when trying to lower your cholesterol through diet, what you don’t eat is just as important as what you do eat. Reduce your consumption of saturated fats and trans fats, which both boost cholesterol levels. Saturated fats are found in dairy foods, red meat, coconut oil, and palm oil. Trans fats are a byproduct of the chemical process that converts liquid vegetable oil into a solid form and prevents it from going rancid. In addition to raising bad cholesterol, trans fats also lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol, promote inflammation, and increase the risk for blood clots.
Finally, always check with your doctor regarding your heart health. Only your doctor will know if your food choices alone can make enough of a difference to lower your cholesterol levels to a normal range. You may still require medication.