Low-density lipoproteins, or LDL cholesterol, is "bad" cholesterol. It's the form of cholesterol that contributes to the accumulation of plaque along the arterial walls, narrowing the blood vessels and eventually restricting blood flow. For health reasons, you want low levels of LDL in your bloodstream. You can help lower your LDL cholesterol by changing your diet.
Dietary Changes
Eating a heart-healthy diet has a direct impact on cholesterol levels, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. One component of a heart-healthy diet is incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your meals. Both fruits and vegetables are rich in soluble fiber, a nutrient known to lower cholesterol.
Fiber
The ability of fiber to reduce low-density lipoproteins largely involves the absorption of cholesterol. This nutrient reduces the rate of cholesterol absorption into the bloodstream by forcing more bile to be eliminated in waste. As bile levels decline, your liver pulls low-density lipoproteins from the blood to create bile salts needed to produce bile. This lowers the low-density lipoproteins in the blood, reducing the risk of plaque accumulation within the blood vessels.
Types
While most fruits contain fiber, not as many are rich in soluble fiber. Some of the more beneficial fruits for reducing cholesterol include apples, oranges, plums and tangerines. There also is soluble fiber in bananas, apricots, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, peaches, pineapples and grapefruit.
Recommendations
According to the Mayo Clinic website, between 5 grams and 10 grams of soluble fiber a day can help lower the levels of low-density lipoproteins in the bloodstream. An apple contains roughly 2 grams of soluble fiber, so you'd need to eat three to five a day to make an impact on cholesterol levels. Since this can be difficult, you can add other foods high in soluble fiber, such as oatmeal, oat bran, pinto beans, potatoes, peas, broccoli and carrots.
Fat and Cholesterol
In addition to incorporating foods high in soluble fiber into your diet, the American Heart Association recommends limiting your fat intake to 25 percent to 35 percent of your caloric intake, limiting saturated fat to no more than 7 percent of your caloric intake and limiting transfat to no more than 1 percent of your caloric intake. It's also best to limit your dietary cholesterol consumption to no more than 200mg a day.
