We know that many people have been told by their doctors to lower their cholesterol levels, usually for the health of their heart.  

An easy way to do this is by eating foods that lower cholesterol without putting your health at risk of other issues.

One such food is oatmeal, more specifically oat bran, which is very rich in soluble fiber. This type of fiber is known to lower the bad cholesterol, LDL, or low-density lipoprotein but it doesn't lower the cholesterol that you want to be high. That is your high-density cholesterol, or HDL.  

 

Food that contains oat bran and rolled oats, such as oatmeal are actually allowed to claim that they are healthy for you, according to the FDA (food and drug administration).

To improve your diet add other soluble-fiber-rich foods such as apples, barley, kidney beans and pears. Another really good food for heart health and lowering cholesterol (LDL), and at the same time raising the HDL cholesterol is the humble fish. Fish is high in protein and omega 3 fatty acids.  

Omega 3 fatty acids are known for their ability to lower triglycerides. Excellent fish sources are oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, herring and also trout.

Nuts are good to eat because they are rich in fiber, phytonutrients and also antioxidants such as vitamin E and selenium. They can also lower bad cholesterol (LDL). The FDA "approved" nuts back in 2003, for their heart health role. Especially beneficial are almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans and some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.  

You do need to limit your daily intake, a sensible amount is just 1.5 ounces. Nnuts are still high in calories and because weight management is important for keeping your heart healthy you should try to avoid eating too many nuts. No sense doing yourself good as fasr as cholesterol is concerned and then putting on weight!

Plant sterols are also able to block cholesterol absorption. They're good for lowering LDL cholesterol levels. There are plant sterols in fortified foods such as margarine, orange juice, and some salad dressings. 

Soy products are very good to substitute for animal food products. Many people with high cholesterol need to limit or avoid animal food products, so replacing some of them with soy based products is a good idea.

The FDA also recognized the health benefits of soy products, in 1999! 

However, due to conflicting results regarding soy's ability to lower cholesterol it can no longer be recommend eating soy for this purpose. Soy is still healthy to eat, it's just not recommended purely for this purpose.

Soy may not be able to lower cholesterol to the ability that it was once thought to do but it can still lower cholesterol (LDL) to a lesser degree. Soy products also contain high levels of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins and other minerals. They are a healthy meat replacement.

Diet is one tool for lowering your risk of heart disease. Plan your meals around healthy food choices and proper portion sizes and you will not only lower your cholesterol, you will keep your weight in the range it needs to be for optimum health.

All the information on this site is for general information only. It is not intended to replace medical advice from your physician or healthcare adviser. The information presented here should not be used for self-diagnosis of any health issues.

You should make all decisions on treatment or management of health conditions following the advice of a medical healthcare professional. That way, your personal circumstances can be evaluated and factored into any advice. 

If you are troubled, or concerned about any aspect of your health you should seek medical advice from a suitable physician, or other professional heathcare adviser.