If your low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol level is high, you have an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, there are two ways to lower your LDL cholesterol. One is to make lifestyle changes that include a heart-healthy diet, weight management and physical activity, and the other is drug treatment. If drug treatment is necessary, it should be used along with appropriate lifestyle changes.
Significance
The American Heart Association recommends you keep your LDL cholesterol level less than 100 mg per decaliter of blood. As your level of LDL cholesterol increases, so does your risk for heart disease and stroke. A reading of 160 to 189 is high, and 190 and above is very high.
Considerations
As you try to choose foods that can help lower your LDL, remember only foods from animals and animal products contain cholesterol. Plant foods do not.
General Dietary Guidelines
To control your cholesterol levels, the National Institutes of Health recommends you follow four general dietary guidelines. Of your total daily calories, only 30 percent or less should come from fat and only 8 to 10 percent of total daily calories should come from saturated fat. Your total consumption of cholesterol should not exceed 300 mg, and you should limit your intake of sodium to 1,500 mg or less per day.
Recommended Foods
You can help lower your LDL cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association, by eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean meats and poultry, high-fiber foods and whole grains. Use fat-free or 1 percent dairy products, and eat fish at least twice a week. Good sources of fiber include dried beans and peas, oats, fruits such as oranges and pears, and vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and brussels sprouts. Choose soft margarine instead of stick, and limit high-cholesterol foods such as egg yolks, liver and other organ meats.
Mayo Clinic's Top 5 Foods
The Mayo Clinic identifies five foods that can help lower your LDL cholesterol -- oatmeal, fish, nuts, olive oil and foods fortified with sterols or stanols. Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Fatty fish contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce blood pressure and prevent blood clots. Examples of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids are mackerel, sardines, herring, lake trout, salmon and halibut.
Almonds, walnuts and other nuts contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can help lower LDL cholesterol. However, nuts are high in calories, so eat only a handful each day. Olive oil, especially extra-virgin olive oil, contains powerful antioxidants that can lower your LDL without affecting your high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, the good cholesterol. Sterols and stanols are substances from plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol. You can find many foods fortified with these substances, which can lower LDL cholesterol by as much as 10 percent or more.
References
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need to Know
- American Heart Association: What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean
- Medline Plus: Managing Cholesterol
- American Heart Association: Lifestyle Changes and Cholesterol
- Mayo Clinic: Cholesterol: Top 5 Foods to Lower Your Numbers
