Useful Cholesterol Reducing Foods

Are you wondering what cholesterol reducing foods could help bring your levels down to within an acceptable range?

If you are suffering from high cholesterol levels, there are a number of useful lifestyle and dietary steps, as well as natural remedies, which you could employ to help you deal with the problem. And foods which lower cholesterol are certainly something you could use.

Indeed, on top of simply consuming foods with little or no cholesterol in place of high-cholesterol foods, there are actually foods which can help bring your levels down.

An example of cholesterol reducing foods is fatty fish, which has lots of omega-3 fatty acids in it. Not only do omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce your overall cholesterol levels, they help your body to produce more of the good cholesterol that it needs. Olive oil is another food that can actually help to raise levels of the good (HDL) cholesterol. Good cholesterol has a cleaning effect on the arteries and actually removes the bad (LDL) cholesterol.

By filling your pantry with the following great cholesterol reducing foods, you can not only help to lower your LDL cholesterol, but also get all the wonderful health benefits which these foods provide.

• Soluble fiber - Choose foods like apples, oatmeal, prunes, kidney beans and barley. High fiber foods are cholesterol reducing foods because they help to lower the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the intestines. For optimum results, add about 10 grams of soluble fiber to your diet daily.
  
  
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids help to keep the veins flexible and healthy. Find them in walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pecans and pistachios. Since nuts are high in calories, you only need a handful to reap the benefits.
  
  
• Omega-3 fatty acids - By eating fatty fish like mackerel, sardines and tuna, you can help to reduce your cholesterol and prevent problems like blood clots and high blood pressure. Consuming at least two servings of fish weekly will provide you with ample omega-3 fatty acids and plenty of selenium. Not enough fish in your diet? Add some ground flaxseed and flaxseed oil to help supplement your omega-3 needs.
  
  
• Antioxidants like those found in extra virgin olive oil will help to significantly lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and leave your HDL (good) cholesterol levels untouched. Choose extra virgin olive oil, which has been less processed and contains more antioxidants, and avoid light olive oils, which are more processed.
  
  
• Plant sterols and stanols - These substances are found in small amounts in many plant foods like fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes and oils, and they resemble the chemical structure of animal cholesterol. It is said that they carry out similar cell functions in plants. The fact that sterols and stanols have been shown to lower cholesterol levels is possibly one reason why plant foods are such excellent cholesterol reducing foods.

It is certainly important to incorporate lots of fresh fruits and veggies in your diet. You could consider berries, as they have a high concentration of antioxidants. Dark green leafy veggies contain lots of fiber and nutrients, while citrus fruits and peppers are loaded with vitamin C.

Besides consuming more cholesterol reducing foods, it is also important that you take a good look at what you currently eat, too. Cut out saturated and trans fats, which will raise your cholesterol levels; make sure that less than 10% of the calories you consume are saturated fats. Avoid foods like store-bought cookies and crackers, which often contain the highest amounts of trans fats.

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