While your body makes cholesterol, you also take in cholesterol when eating meat-based foods. If you eat too much, excess cholesterol can build up in your arteries, making them hardened and restricting the flow of blood, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. You can reduce this buildup by consuming a diet that lowers cholesterol.
Types
Two types of cholesterol exist: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which contributes to heart disease, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which helps to remove cholesterol from the body, according to Health Castle. Because not all cholesterol is considered bad cholesterol, your diet should include foods that lower LDL and increase HDL cholesterol levels.
Basic Tenets
A cholesterol-lowering diet should be based on a few heart-healthy guidelines, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. This includes reducing saturated fat intake by restricting high-fat, high-cholesterol meats. Carefully read the labels of food products you eat and aim to consume 300 milligrams of cholesterol or less per day. You also should reduce sodium intake because sodium contributes to heart disease---aim for 2,400 milligrams per day.
Best Food Choices
The Mayo Clinic recommends four chief cholesterol-lowering foods that should be a part of your diet. They include oatmeal, which helps to lower LDL cholesterol and is a good source of fiber. Fish that contains omega-3 fatty acids help to improve heart health by making the blood vessels more flexible. Good options include mackerel, herring, sardines, halibut and salmon. Nuts help to reduce LDL cholesterol as well---consume only a handful, however, as they tend to be high in fat calories. Cooking with olive oil also incorporates a healthy source of fat in your diet. Other healthy fat sources include foods that have plant sterols, which can lower cholesterol. Incorporating these can serve as the foundation for reduced cholesterol consumption.
Reducing High Cholesterol
Only meat and meat-based products contain cholesterol. While these should not be excluded from your diet because they contain protein, you should choose low-fat sources, according to the American Heart Association. Choose lean cuts of meat---no fat should be visible on the meat. Look for labels such as "select," "lean" or "extra lean." Broiling helps to cook away fat and oils from the meat, reducing the amount of cholesterol.
Warning
In addition to meat products, many foods contain meat-based products that may not be as apparent, according to the Mayo Clinic. These include trans fats, which are found in pre-packaged cookies, cakes and margarine. Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol levels while reducing HDL levels. For this reason, they should be avoided whenever possible.
