The best way to improve your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease is to change your diet and lifestyle. Eat a whole foods, plant-based diet and incorporate exercise and stress-relieving activities into your daily routine. I made a list of the best cholesterol lowering foods in 2007. It’s time for an update! Here’s my new 2011 list of the Top 14 Foods that Lower Cholesterol with the latest research and recommendations from nutrition experts:
1. Whole Grains and Oats – a five-year Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study showed that people whose diets contain the most whole grains “had the thinnest carotid artery walls and showed the slowest progression in artery wall thickness.” Try these recipes:
- Baked Apple Crumble
- Better Than Your Average Oatmeal
- Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Pineapple Brown Fried Rice
2. Blueberries – pterostilbene, a compound in blueberries, may help lower cholesterol as effectively as commercial drugs with fewer side effects. Antioxidants in blueberries, such as anthocyanins, have been found to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and improve cholesterol health in several notable studies. Try these recipes:
3. Nuts (all kinds) – eating a small serving of nuts every day can reduce your total cholesterol, reduce your LDL cholesterol, and improve your ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol. Try these recipes:
4. Chlorella – chlorella is a potent, eco-friendly source of healthy omega-3 fats, making it cholesterol lowering food. Studies show that it can significantly improve cholesterol levels. An easy way eat chlorella is in a smoothie. Try mixing chlorella granules with coconut water, blueberries, and strawberries for a healthy afternoon snack or dessert.
5. Chocolate – eating dark chocolate has been found to provide dozens of health benefits, including improving cholesterol levels. For the best health benefit, consume raw chocolate without added dairy products or artificial sweeteners. Try these recipes:
6. Avocados, 7. Olives, and 8. Olive Oil – The high level of monounsaturated fats in avocados, olives, and olive oil protect against heart disease and diabetes and can increase your good cholesterol and decrease your bad cholesterol. Check out the Mediterranean Diet for more on these foods and their health benefits. Try these recipes:
- Black Bean Soup w/ Avocado
- Hearty Grilled Veggie Sandwich
- Avocado Pineapple Smoothie
- No Cheese Pesto (lots of olive oil)
9. Goji Berries – goji berries keep your arteries from narrowing and prevent cholesterol from oxidizing and sticking to the inside or causing blood clots. Research from China found that goji berries can increase the production of an antioxidant called superoxide dismutase (SOD) which prevents cholesterol oxidation. Try these recipes:
10. Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil – flaxseed oil is a great vegetarian choice for a healthy fats supplement if you don’t want to take fish oil. Many experts agree that flaxseeds are a good choice to help maintain heart health and avoid heart disease and dangerous cholesterol levels. Try adding a spoonful of ground up flaxseed to your favorite smoothies or baked goods. You can substitute 3 tbsp. ground flax seeds for 1 tbsp. butter/margarine.
11. 100% Cranberry-Grape Juice – antioxidants in red and purple juices slow down LDL cholesterol oxidation and may raise levels of HDL cholesterol. Read my article “Did We Forget About Cranberries?” and try the recipe below with extra grape juice:
- Strawberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie (with grape juice)
12. Soy Foods (such as tempeh, tofu, or edamame) – try eating high-quality soy foods instead of meat. Soy foods may not improve your cholesterol levels on their own, but they will give you a healthy dose of protein and will cut out artery-clogging dietary cholesterol found in meat. Try these recipes:
13. Pomegranate Juice – a National Academy of Sciences study showed that pomegranate juice reduces cholesterol plaque buildup and increases nitric oxide production (nitric oxide helps reduce arterial plaque), making it a perfect cholesterol lowering food. It’s also been shown to improve fertility.
14. Leafy Greens – leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale are loaded with fiber and lutein, a carotenoid which has been found to reduce LDL cholesterol particles and help prevent heart disease with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers. Try these recipes:
You might be a person who is predisposed to high cholesterol, or maybe your diet could use a shape-up. Here are a few key points on cholesterol that I try to focus on:
- Cholesterol is not the sole reason people have heart disease, but it’s definitely a contributing factor. Experts agree that dietary cholesterol raises blood cholesterol and that high blood cholesterol levels increase your risk for heart disease.
- Everyone should have their cholesterol checked-it doesn’t matter if you are young/old, female/male, or thin/overweight.
- While there are many factors at play (such as family history, stress level, physical activity level, and age), your diet has a tremendous influence on the amount of cholesterol in your blood and more importantly, on your risk for life-threatening diseases.
See also:
“What is Good Cholesterol and How Do I Improve It?”
“What is Bad Cholesterol and How Do I Improve It?”
“3 Diets that Fight Cholesterol”
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what about chickpeas and hummus? a friend told me it lowers cholesterol but its not mentioned specifically. how does it rate amongst beans and legumes?
There’s this thing called ISPAGHOL in the subcontinent which is probably the purest form of fiber. That helps a lot.
I discovered that my little girl, at the age of four, had a cholestorol level of 281. She never had a chance to eat unhealthy foods because she was still a baby… and my cooking habits have always been the healthiest because my husband also had and has high cholestorol. When I found out, I put my little girl on a diet that consisted of all of the advice that is mentioned here. Four months later I checked my little girl again… cholestorol level:309. I am devastated because I know that its hereditary, but I don’t know how to fight it!!! Her organism needs everything! How can I deprive it of dairy products or meat and eggs? And why? It doesn’t make a difference anyway. She’s got such a long way ahead of her… how can I secure that she gets there fine? If anyone can help me, please respond.
This information will come in handy. I just found out that my cholesterol is high and my doctor said I should change my diet. Thank you very much.
yes indeed, your information are very useful for us,keep going………….
I did not see alchohol in the list .
no joke people my colesterol was 220 and i have lowerd it to 160 in 4 weeks !
the only thing i have done diffrently is now i take a walk or job in the morning before work , and have a few beers or a glass of wine before i go to sleep .
assalam o alaikum,
whenever my cholestrol level goes high, then my heart beat beats so fast , and i can’t breath well ,and if i eat something like aspirin or any thing like garlic then my blood pressure goes down and i can’t walk well , i wana something to eat, u suggest that will help to reduce cholestrol level immediately,and is green tea good for reducing cholestrol level?
I have a family history of high cholesterol i’ve been on meds for 9 years i eat right and have a lot of activity in my life it continues to be high i dont get it I think when its in your genes there seems as though there is no hope i hope it will come down ,I would like to stick around and see my grand kids.
sir my hdl 285 before present 185 ( within 3moths)
– past present
height 174 174
weight 79.5 73
hdl 285 185
ldl 190 119
I regularly do exercise, yoga, lifestyle change
give me suggestions through mail
I did not want to take medication, so for one year I ate a lot of, and almost exclusively, oat meal, oat bran, kidney beans, apples, pears, prunes, barley, mucho walnuts, pistachio nuts, almonds, herring, salmon, tuna, late trout, sardines, yogart and blue berries….my LDL went down to 100 and my over all cholesterol is down from 240 to 183. I lost 10lbs as well and I feel great. I play tennis 2-3 times per week and that certainly helps.
I have changed my diet, eating oatmeal for breakfast, quit smoking, drinking the probiotic yogurt drinks (one daily), eating healthy snacks, apples, bananas, eating lots of chicken (boneless/skinless), exercising, and my cholesterol is STILL very bad. Its been months, and I thought it would have improved a little bit, but my doctor says it’s even a few points worse!!!!
I noticed there was no mention of using ground flaxseed in all of your baking at home. Flaxseed oil is nice, but there is ground flaxseed because of the grain grown in the field from our farmers. There are more ways of lowering your cholesterol than is mentioned or can be on one page alone people. Take your time, keep researching, keep improving. It takes time to get your regiment right. Remember cholesterol and fat get produced when elements that are absorbed into the body don’t get burned off or thrown into the waste cycle of the human body. If you really think about what you are eating, odds are, you won’t be elevating your levels further. Its hard and it does take work to get those readings correct. I found a diet low on sugar, high on fiber, some exercise, and as much fun as possible helps a lot. A little red wine once in a while is fine too!
i am 36 and have high cholesterole .doc thinking of meds but im hoping i can get it down with waight loss im 88 kilos and diet
up untill 6 months ago my diet was o full of fat and prosed food but i have never smoked or drink no coffee tea eat good meals i thought i walk an hour a day what am i doing wrong with the change or has the damage already been done . i have a couple of lumps around my eyelids due to bad cholesterole too help
One of my collegue suggested me to try the alternative medicine to treat my high cholesterol problem. she told me to mix pure honey and cloves of garlic in 1 jar. leave it till 1 week. then after, you take 1 tbsp. 3 times a day, and you will be surprise that your cholesterol is going back to normal.
better to practice alternative medications because its herbal, natural and will not give any harm to the body.
I eat most of the recommended foods weekly. I weight train 3 days/week, and run 4 days/week. I just found out that my cholesterol is still high, and glucose is slightly lower.
I’m not going to give up though. I’m going to “turn it up” a few notches!! I refuse to take medication!
@ chelle maybe the problem is in your body producing too much cholesterol that your body needs..
I am 44 years old, and found out that my Triglycerides are 654, is bad from my Lipid panel. Does anybody know if the Nutrisystem (if followed to a T) diet will be helpful in lowering my cholesterol and weight? Diet is based on portion control, and caloric intake (1,000 – 1,200 calories per day). Thanks!
This info for (Kris July 28th 2009)…..Chickpeas are low in fat and most of this is polyunsaturated. … have also shown that they can assist in lowering of cholesterol in the bloodstream
Death rate in US for heart disease reveals that 725,191 per year, 60,432 per month, 13,945 per week, 1,986 per day, 82 per hour, 1 per minute. On an average people lose 11 years due to heart disease. Prevention is always better than cure, good life style and stress free life increases life span. Also good natural supplement like Proleva can stay with you for quite long to get you going. Pomegranate one of the extensively tested fruit helps in reducing risk of heart attack. One serving of Proleva contains the equivalent of four glasses of pomegranate juice. I have been using Proleva after it was recommended by my doctor. I feel strong and healthy from the very first week of my intake of Proleva.
How about a vegan diet? Cholesterol-free.
My cholesterol level is going up and up. I had a stroke to my voice. Physically not affected. What should I do? I am scared it gets worse. Another stroke will attack me maybe worse than before. Now my speech is affected.
http://www.stockrocker.blogspot.com
For 3 months I’ve been eating walnuts, almonds, oatmeal with raisins, bananas, oat bran cookies, olive oil used for all cooking and baking, soy powder + fat free powdered milk with a banana in the blender, garlic, and more.
My cholesterol in just 3 months went from 226 to 200. I’m really happy about that and I’ll certainly follow the diet advice on this page.
My calcium scoring shows “mild” buildup and for a guy who is 60, that is good per the doctor.
If you want this test, some hospitals do it as a community service. It’s a scan of your heart to check the plaque buildup. My co-pay was only $75 and well worth the peace of mind offered when I received that good score.
Exercise is a must. For me it gives energy, better sleep, don’t get tired during the day, better quality sleep, mental alertness beyond what I’d have ever imagined. Just a simple overall great feeling.
One thing I learned in aerobics class which I’ve been doing since 1980. Eat like a King @ breakfast, a Prince @ lunch, and then like a pauper @ dinner.
i really hope this diet help im 14 nd i think i have high cholesteral im goin to get check but im having syptoms of high cholesteral nd want to start my diet right away nd see how my cholesteral lowers down nd stay on this diet 4 at lest 2 years
My doctor also said to watch my sugar intake. It can also affect your cholesterol levels. Become a label reader – so many unexpected things have sugar including ketchup, bread, BBQ sauce, even some canned veggies!
good advise,exercise and diet worked for me.
Exposure to UV light, like the sun, reduces cholesterol. Your body converts it to vitamin D. No calories too!
Just wanna say that this a Medical Persian treatment for lowering your cholesterol.
Just mix some yogurt with fresh dill and shredded fresh squash or zucchini and dry mint. in case you don’t have high blood pressure add some salt for taste. If you don’t like fresh ingredients that I mentioned above simply replace them with dry ones but you get better results with fresh veg.
Try to make this in a regular basis rather.
Thanks
I became bulimic and now my cholesterol is super low!
@ Bessie Try Psyllium Husk, I swear by it, it has so many benefits, lowering cholesterol being one. I buy the powder and drink it mixed with pure blueberry juice…which is also good.Good luck….dont panic!, I wish you all the best.
i just check my LDL and its no longer normal, im worid. i have 183 LDL and high cholesterol result..pls kip me posted on ur good piece of advice.
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Hi ,
I got my yearly check up done and came to know that my Cholestrol
S – Cholestrol – 264
S.Triglycerides -126
VLDL-Cholestrol- 25.2
HDL Cholestrol- 59
LDl-Cholestrol- 179
Please suggest and Mail me on food I should be eating and what the best way to lower Cholestrol.
Thanks
hi i m 30 yrs old
i was checked my cholestrol last week it was
cholestrol — 282
triglycerides — 364
HDL Cholestrol — 44
VLDL Cholestrol –72.8
LDL Cholestrol –165.2
how can reduce that back 2 normal tell me about diet? Is a garlic is helps 2 reduce ur cholestrol? thanks
I am 26 years old and I have high cholestrol all my life. I was never put on any medication because the excuse is that I an too young. Now that I am 6 weeks prego, I am concern more than ever…..I have been put on diet and nothing seems to be working…
What lowers cholesterol without diet is green tea. It lowers LDL bad cholesterol and raise HDL good cholesterol. It also lowers blood sugars in people with diabetes. Drink 3 to 5 cups of green tea a day. I did this and it worked. My LDL use to be 134 and my HDL was 64 and my cholesterol serum was 218. I recently got my test results back in october and my LDL is now 101. My HDL is now 84. And my cholesterol serum is 198. I also have diabetes and high blood sugars. my A1C use to be 11. My A1C is now 8. The green tea lowered my blood sugars. I once had a blood sugar that was 469. I drank 3 cups of green tea, and my blood sugar went down to 264. The green tea takes an hour and a half to two hours after consumption to lower the blood sugars, but it works. it would also be important to go on a diet as well.
I remember reading a leaflet on lowering cholesterol and the foods that I liked and were mentioned are: walnuts, oatmeal and blueberries. This combination is supposed to lower cholesterol by 30%. Also, cook with olive oil and have lots of omega 3. I drink a lot of tea but I’m going to substitute this with green tea.
hi can you e-mail me a list of foods i can eat to extremly lower my chlosterol i heard green tea does it but i would like a diet also
Doctor wanted to put me on Lipator for my cholestorol .no way i will check out other ways first
myself 46 years, weight – 62 kg, height – 5.7
my total cholestrol – 226
LDL Cholestrol – 168
Cholestrol / HDL ratio – 6
LDL / HDL Ratio – 4.5
kindly advice diet.
My husband went of lipitor Doctor took him of today ..Just wondering what good foods to eat..Thank u kindly
Got my blood work done and my dc. Tool me that my cholesterol was very high and prescribed me medication to lowed it. After redding the effects that you can have. I decided that to have a proper diet and it works. Exercising is a must to lower your cholesterol. Not just it’s working but you will feel better and look better.
I’ve read all the comments.
Cholesterol is one total
triglycerides another total
HDL (the good stuff) is a value usually (hopefully) over 40.
LDL (the bad stuff)
These 4 numbers determines how bad or acceptable your CHOLESTEROL reading is. Example if you have 210 for Cholesterol (it shouldnt go over 200 in best case scenario) but lets say your HDL IS 80…then thats acceptable to be 210.
Meaning the good stuff (HDL) is circulating strongly and so being 10 points over the 200 mark is not going to kill you.
Olive oil instead of butter (on everything that you normally use butter and cook with Olive Oil).
Remove red meat from your life is at all possible or reduce to once a week (if at all possible!)
MOVE (like WALK A LOT at least) if possible.
I drink wine with dinner every night because I like it.
You dont have to make drastic changes (unless your doctor says so because you are really in ‘danger zone’.
You’ll be please to see a difference with moderate change! No one likes to give up ‘everything’ they love. Try a few new things like Olive Oil instead of Butter on everything.
Someone posted their HDL was
I have just found out I have a high cholesterol level,dont realy want to go on medication until I run out of other options.I think I lead a rather healthy life ,,so could you please send me a list of foods I should eat.I love my fruit and Veg and eat a lot of them,but I must be doing something wrong,so can you please help
Dear Bessi
Try to serve fat free yogurt everyday…….its proven
My age is 42 and my weight is more 97kg my height is 6 feet 2 inches.2 years back my cholestrol level was 239 last year it was 222 after avoiding too much eating of oily food like half fry egg,ice cream, fried food etc.
Please advice how I will make my cholestrol level 200 and less?
KALE willwipeit out!!!!Eat KALE EVERYDAY!!!! Steam it for 5 mins, because this allows it todigest better into the kidneys/intestines. The bile from the Kale will grab all the bad cholesterol and it will be deposited out of your stool. Don’t just take my word for it. Google Kale, and see great it AND COLLARD GREENS are along with prayer and trusting God to give you the wisdom to lower your cholesterol with out pharmacuetical drugs and patience.:)
God Bless all that have inquired of this concern.
I have high percentage of bad cholesterol 5.3, and the reference is 2.6. what kind of food should i eat to lower my bad cholesterol LDL? can you help me?
We should try to reduce cholesterol by changing food habit.
I learned my from here. Thanks a lot.
Only animal products raise cholesterol. You MUST cut out saturtaed fats. If you go to a plant based diet and run every other day for 30 minutes on the tread mill you will be amazed how fast your cholesterol will drop. And I mean significant numbers. Do not eat any hamburgers, chicken, cheese egss or anything that come from an animal. So, I guess you must become vegan if you really want to have low cholesterol. Just eat alot of oatmeal with blueberries in the morning. I like wheat crackers (must be 0 Sat & Fat 0 cholesterol) and hummis. And alot of almonds (non cooked or roasted). they are very filling. Also, wheat crackers and avacado. I open the avacado and dip the cracker right into the avacado. It also lowers choleesterol and tastes good. It might be a little boring at first, but you will get used to it and your cholesterol LDL will drop and HDL will go up. Triglicerydes will also drop siginicantly. Remember, you have to run for 30 minutes at least every other day of every day is best or at least walk as fast as you can to get your heart rate up. You bllod pressure will aslo drop. Believe me. I had high numbers and now perfect levels. Trust me.
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