If you are worried about your cholesterol levels, one of the best changes you can make is switching up your diet to include more heart-healthy foods. Avoid eating fried and processed foods, which often have high levels of cholesterol and unnatural ingredients as a way to reduce your levels of LDL – or “bad” – cholesterol. While this strategy can help reduce your bad cholesterol, there are also things you can do to boost your levels of HDL – “good” cholesterol, which carries bad cholesterol from the arteries to the liver for removal from the body.
Here are some foods that can up your HDL, lower your LDL and lower your overall cholesterol levels in turn, which is good for the cardiovascular system:
- Oatmeal and oat bran: Oats contain soluble fiber, which lowers LDL cholesterol by reducing its absorption into the bloodstream. Aim for five to 10 grams of soluble fiber per day, which can also be found in barley, kidney beans, apples and pears. For example, try eating 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal for breakfast with apples or bananas, which can provide enough soluble fiber in just one meal to make a difference in your cholesterol levels.
- Nuts: Several studies have show the heart-healthy benefits of nuts when eaten in moderation. Nuts contain healthy unsaturated fat and high levels of plant sterols, which block cholesterol absorption by the body. A good serving size is one and a half ounces per day.
- Lentils: These potent legumes also contain soluble fiber that blocks the absorption of cholesterol. They’re packed with protein, and since they soak up flavors easily, you can include them in your diet no matter your tastes. Other similar heart-healthy, cholesterol-lowering legumes are navy beans, black-eyed peas and lima beans.
- Dark chocolate: This might be surprising to some people, but aside from containing antioxidants, this bittersweet treat can increase HDL levels – the body’s “good” cholesterol. The antioxidants can keep arteries open and stop blood platelets from sticking together. When choosing your dark chocolate, pick the darkest that you enjoy eating.
- Grapefruit: This tasty citrus fruit can reduce your LDL cholesterol by 10 percent and reduce arterial narrowing. It can also help lower your blood pressure.
- Salmon and other fatty fish: Researchers think that the omega-3s in fatty fish can increase levels of good cholesterol in the body. Aside from salmon, try sardines, herring, mackerel, halibut and albacore tuna.
- Tea: Green tea is especially good because it contains catechins, which is an antioxidant that researchers believe lowers cholesterol. All types of tea have catechins, but green tea has the most.
- Avocado: These creamy fruits are a powerhouse for heart health. They contain oleic acid, which is a fat that boosts HDL and lowers LDL. They also have more beta-sitosterol than any other fruit, which keeps cholesterol under control. When eaten with other fruits and veggies, the ingredients in avocados can increase absorption rates of antioxidants.
