Cholesterol Lowering Foods

Are you looking for effective measures to reduce your blood cholesterol level? Or are you looking for a balanced diet to maintain your cholesterol level? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we give you some of the best foods to lower cholesterol and live a healthy life. Modifications to your diet not only helps in bringing down the cholesterol level but it also helps in reducing the risks for developing various diseases such as heart problems, blood pressure, cancer, stroke, diabetes etc.

Here is a list of the top 15 functional foods that can make a big impact on your cholesterol level.

1. Apple contains pectin which is a soluble fiber that helps in considerably drawing cholesterol out of your body. The flavonoids in apples prevent the accumulation of bad LDL in the bloodstream since flavonoids act as strong anti-oxidants.

2. Beans are an excellent source of soluble fiber and vegetable protein. Combining beans with seeds, corn, wheat, and brown rice gives a substitute for red meat protein which has high content of saturated fat.

3. Nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachio and most importantly walnuts have high amount of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids that helps in lowering the cholesterol level.

4. Cinnamon contains polyphenols, commonly known as antioxidants that reduce triglyceride, LDL which is bad cholesterol, and the overall cholesterol level.

5. Soy products are yet another food that helps you lower down the LDL cholesterol and raises HDL cholesterol. Soy products like soybeans, soy nuts, soymilk, tofu, and tempeh are complete proteins and soluble fibers.

6. Grapes protect LDL cholesterol from free radical damage and also reduces platelet clumping. Basically this functionality of grapes is due to presence of two compounds in it namely pterostilbene and resveratol.

7. Oats are soluble fibers that also help in reducing LDL. Consuming 5 to 10 grams of Oatmeal a day decreases LDL cholesterol by about 5 percent.

8. Garlic has also received a notable attention over the years for its usefulness in bringing down the cholesterol level.

9. Fish and omega-3 fatty acids significantly reduce bad cholesterol and risk of sudden death due to heart attacks, high blood pressure and blood clots. Prime sources of omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, seaweed, lake trout, sardines, mackerel, albacore tuna etc.

10. Olive oil contains the largest proportions i.e. around 77% or so of monounsaturated fat and has powerful antioxidants which lower LDL cholesterol but it has no affect on HDL.

11. Plant sterols and stanols are natural substances which reduce cholesterol level largely by blocking absorption of cholesterol.

12. Avocados are generally avoided since they have a high fat content but more than a dozen of studies have shown that a component in avocados called sitosterol lowers cholesterol.

13. Blueberries have the capacity to reduce cholesterol level more effectively than a statin drug can. It is due to the presence of compound, pterostilbene, in it.

14. Brown rice can also help in reducing the cholesterol level through its oil (not its fibers).

15. Cranberry contains antioxidants, pectin and soluble dietary fibers that apart from giving numerous health benefits also lower cholesterol level.

If cutting out bad fat isn’t sufficient to reduce your cholesterol than you need to add handful of these special food in your diet. This will surely help you out.

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