Foods that Lower Your Cholesterol

While the recommendation is always to avoid eating saturated fat and binge on fruits and vegetables to reduce the chance of cholesterol accumulation, certain other foods have been found to be as effective. Some of them are mentioned under:

1) Oats

This wonder cereal has been found to significantly increase the levels of the good cholesterol, that is HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) and one survey indicated that a regular consumption of oats increases good cholesterol by over 11%.

2) Almonds

This wonderful dry fruit has the unique ability of preventing the oxidation of the bad cholesterol that is LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein). This prevents the formation of plaque and the arteries remain broad.

3) Vegetables and Lentils

Those following a diet of green leafy vegetables and lentils in combination with grains reported a substantial decrease in their LDL levels.

4) Blueberries

This wonderful berry contains pterostilbene that inhibits oxidation of LDL and prevents plaque formation.

5) Barley

The addition of barley to the diet decreased the LDL levels by close to 20%. This was reported from a study done by the USDA in 2004.

6) Avocados

For people already wrestling with some levels of cholesterol, consuming avocados has been very useful in bringing down the levels of LDL and at the same time increasing HDL levels.

7) Alcohol

Contrary to popular perception, a glass of any alcoholic beverage along with dinner has been recommended to increase the levels of good cholesterol or HDL , thereby reducing the risk of any heart problems. The caveat though is that the consumption of alcohol needs to be strictly restricted to just a glass. Going overboard will in fact lead to problems of not only the heart, but also other organs. You should also resort to this only after consulting with your doctor,

Other beneficial foods include the intake of complex carbohydrates found in grains and vegetables as opposed to the simple ones found in fruit sugars, lactose and sucrose.

Seafood like shrimps and crawfish also have a lower saturated fat content as compared to red meat and is therefore highly recommended, though they contain cholesterol.

A therapeutic approach is to reduce the consumption of animal fat which is largely saturated fat and by doing this; you decrease the levels of bad cholesterol. Changing the cooking oil medium to olive oil or canola oil also reduces LDL since this kind of oil contains monounsaturated fat.

Ensure that consumption of milk products that have low fat content percentage is followed.

Similarly, if you want to snack, opt for those made with unsaturated fat and stay within the calorie restrictions.

Maintaining a healthy cholesterol level of HDL and reducing LDL is not difficult, provided you follow a regular and controlled diet pattern as mentioned above.