Diet can play an important role in lowering
your cholesterol. Here are five foods that can lower your cholesterol and
protect your heart.
Can a bowl of oatmeal help lower your cholesterol? How about a handful
of walnuts or even a baked potato topped with some heart-healthy margarine? A
few simple tweaks to your diet — like these, along with exercise and other
heart-healthy habits — may be helpful in lowering your cholesterol.
1. Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods
Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density
lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad," cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also
found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes.
Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your
bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your
total and LDL cholesterol. Eating 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 6 grams
of fiber. If you add fruit, such as bananas, you'll add about 4 more grams of
fiber. To mix it up a little, try steel-cut oatmeal or cold cereal made with
oatmeal or oat bran.
2. Fish and omega-3 fatty acids
Eating fatty fish can be heart healthy because of its high levels of
omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce your blood pressure and risk of
developing blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, fish oil
— or omega-3 fatty acids — reduces the risk of sudden death.
The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings
of fish a week. The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in:
•
Mackerel
•
Lake
trout
•
Herring
•
Sardines
•
Albacore
tuna
•
Salmon
•
Halibut
You should bake or grill the fish to avoid adding unhealthy fats. If you
don't like fish, you can also get small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from
foods like ground flaxseed or canola oil.
You can take an omega-3 or fish oil supplement to get some of the
benefits, but you won't get other nutrients in fish, such as selenium. If you
decide to take a supplement, just remember to watch your diet and eat lean meat
or vegetables in place of fish.
3. Walnuts, almonds and other nuts
Walnuts, almonds and other nuts can reduce blood cholesterol. Rich in
polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy.
Eating about a handful (1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams) a day of most nuts,
such as almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts and
walnuts, may reduce your risk of heart disease. Just make sure the nuts you eat
aren't salted or coated with sugar. All nuts are high in calories, so a handful
will do. To avoid eating too many nuts and gaining weight, replace foods high
in saturated fat with nuts. For example, instead of using cheese, meat or
croutons in your salad, add a handful of walnuts or almonds.
4. Olive oil
Olive oil contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower your
"bad" (LDL) cholesterol but leave your "good" (HDL)
cholesterol untouched.
Try using about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil a day in place of
other fats in your diet to get its heart-healthy benefits. To add olive oil to
your diet, you can saute vegetables in it, add it to a marinade or mix it with
vinegar as a salad dressing. You can also use olive oil as a substitute for
butter when basting meat or as a dip for bread. Olive oil is high in calories,
so don't eat more than the recommended amount.
The cholesterol-lowering effects of olive oil are even greater if you
choose extra-virgin olive oil, meaning the oil is less processed and contains
more heart-healthy antioxidants. But keep in mind that "light" olive
oils are usually more processed than extra-virgin or virgin olive oils and are
lighter in color, not fat or calories.
5. Foods with added plant sterols or stanols
Foods are now available that have been fortified with sterols or stanols
— substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol.
Margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks with added plant sterols can
help reduce LDL cholesterol by more than 10 percent. The amount of daily plant
sterols needed for results is at least 2 grams — which equals about two 8-ounce
(237-milliliter) servings of plant sterol-fortified orange juice a day.
Plant sterols or stanols in fortified foods don't appear to affect
levels of triglycerides or of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the
"good" cholesterol.
Other changes to your diet
For any of these foods to provide their benefit, you need to make other
changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Cut back on the cholesterol and total fat — especially saturated and
trans fats — that you eat. Saturated fats, like those in meat, full-fat dairy
products and some oils, raise your total cholesterol. Trans fats, which are
sometimes found in margarines and store-bought cookies, crackers and cakes, are
particularly bad for your cholesterol levels. Trans fats raise low-density
lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad," cholesterol, and lower high-density
lipoprotein (HDL), the "good," cholesterol.
In addition to changing your diet, keep in mind that making additional
heart-healthy lifestyle changes are key to lowering your cholesterol. Talk to
your doctor about exercising, quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy weight
to help keep your cholesterol level low.
Mayo Clinic
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