Foods Low in Cholesterol

Here, you will learn about foods low in cholesterol.

When all the evidence is weighed, it is quite easy to see that a lifestyle change is necessary in order to help in your endeavor to lower your cholesterol levels.

Simple remedies include reducing the fat and cholesterol in one's diet, eating more foods that are rich in fiber and carbohydrates, as well as increasing physical activity while maintaining a good body weight. But what does all of this mean in terms of what to or what not to eat?

What are some foods low in cholesterol, or foods which help to lower cholesterol?

Well, it is becoming more evident that fiber in the diet can help lower cholesterol, and in the process reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and diseases which are heart related.

Soluble fiber can help by actually ridding the body of cholesterol before it ever gets into the bloodstream. Foods such as oat bran, some fruits, dried beans and peas, as well as the seeds of the herb psyllium are all high in soluble fiber. On top of being foods low in cholesterol, their soluble fiber can help to reduce cholesterol, too.

Soluble fiber binds with fatty acids, which can prevent the stomach from emptying too quickly. This enables the sugar to be released and absorbed into the system more slowly, lowering the levels of total cholesterol and especially LDL (harmful cholesterol).

Foods especially rich in this type of soluble fiber are peas and beans such as kidney, garbanzo, lentils, navy, baked beans and soy beans. Whole grains - oats, rye, rice, barley; whole grain products - breads, granola and other cereals; seeds - psyllium and flax; fruits - apples, apple sauce, oranges and other citrus, peaches, bananas, pears, strawberries; (high concentrations found in dried fruit such as raisins, prunes and dates); vegetables - spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, baked and / or sweet potato are all foods of good choice.

What are some other foods low in cholesterol, and / or which help to lower cholesterol levels?

Foods like fruits, nuts and seeds, vegetables and whole grains contain antioxidants, which help protect the body's cells from damage. There are citrus fruits containing vitamin C, carrots containing beta-carotene, and vegetables containing vitamin E. In order to damage artery walls, a chemical change has to take place in cholesterol; antioxidants help to inhibit this by preventing cholesterol from leaving its place in the blood to find its way into the lining of the blood vessels. Several foods - oat along with its bran, flax, as well as psyllium seed, are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber; both being essential to the body.

Fat contains twice the calories of proteins or carbohydrates. Whether a fat will or will not raise harmful cholesterol levels, they should be eaten with care. Remember, most foods containing harmful fats also have the potential for LDL (harmful) cholesterol as well; this is an important point to note besides looking out for foods low in cholesterol.

Though it is true the body needs some fats, these should be obtained from fresh fish choices (omega 3 fatty acids), lean poultry choices, nuts, seeds, avocadoes, and plant based proteins such as bean and legumes. For ice cream junkies, there are several good frozen yogurt choices that can be made at home.

Phytosterols, commonly known as sterols, are the molecules of a plant - whole grains, vegetables, legumes and fruits. In structure, they differ from animal cholesterol very little, but as to purpose and the way they affect the body, they vary greatly. This is evident in terms of plaque build-up in the arteries, which animal cholesterol contributes to and phytosterols do not, virtually eliminating the development of diseases like atherosclerosis and heart disease. Thus, in general, plant foods are foods low in cholesterol.

Having read about foods low in cholesterol, you may wish to learn more about reducing cholesterol naturally by reading the other related cholesterol articles and pages.

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