Diets to lower cholesterol concentrate on reducing your harmful cholesterol and, possibly, increasing your beneficial cholesterol level. Following these diets provide a natural remedy for cholesterol monitoring, making you responsible for your health. Diet plays a major role in cholesterol levels, but it is only one element of a heart-healthy lifestyle, according to the American Heart Association. Make healthful choices to benefit your overall health and functioning.
DASH
The Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, DASH, can help lower your harmful cholesterol level, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. High blood pressure is the single largest risk factor in developing heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. To improve your cholesterol levels, incorporate the DASH diet into your overall healthy lifestyle changes. This diet consists of foods rich in nutrients known for lowering blood pressure, including calcium, protein, fiber, magnesium and potassium, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. DASH emphasizes eating foods low in cholesterol, saturated fat and total fat content. Limit your daily cholesterol intake to 150 mg, and saturated fat to 7 percent of daily calories. Reduce daily fat intake to no more than 27 percent of total calories. Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and low-fat or nonfat dairy. Limit your consumption of red meats, sweets, added sugars and sugary beverages. Following this plan involves consuming fish, poultry, nuts and whole-grain products. Reduce salt intake to less than 1,500 mg daily.
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association diet to lower cholesterol promotes eating a variety of foods known as heart healthy. Heart-healthy foods help control your cholesterol levels by containing low amounts of animal-based saturated fats and no trans fats. This diet recommends limiting your saturated fat intake to 7 percent of your daily calories. Limit your processed meat consumption to less than twice weekly. Eating at least two 3.5 oz. servings of fatty fish weekly can help lower your cholesterol. Choose foods that contain little if any cholesterol, and consume 3 oz. of high-fiber whole grains daily. The diet emphasizes getting the majority of your nutrients from plant-based foods; every day, you should eat 4.5 cups of various fruits and vegetables, most of which contain no fat or cholesterol. In addition, many fruits and vegetables contain fewer calories than other foods. You can eat nuts and legumes, which contain heart-healthy fats, up to four times weekly. Limit sodium to 1,500 mg or less daily.
LDL Diet
The LDL Diet can help lower your harmful, low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables form the base of this diet. The LDL diet emphasizes the importance of monitoring fats that increase harmful cholesterol; examples include animal-based saturated fats in lard, whole-fat dairy foods, poultry skin, meat fat and butter. Limit saturated fats to less than 7 percent of daily calories. Reduce your intake of plant-based saturated fats, such as palm oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter and hydrogenated shortening. Trans fats found in shortening and some margarines increase harmful cholesterol and reduce beneficial cholesterol; avoid them. Improve beneficial cholesterol by consuming plant-based unsaturated oils, including olive, cottonseed and sunflower. Eating at least 10 g of dietary fiber daily helps lower cholesterol. Fiber-rich foods include whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
