Cholesterol, a waxy substance, is produced naturally in your body, and you can also find it in the foods you eat. Low-density lipoproteins, one type of cholesterol also known as LDL, can damage your health because of its tendency to build up in your arteries, which can cause high blood pressure and put you at risk of other cardiovascular diseases. There are a variety of foods you can eat to help you lower your LDL cholesterol.
Red Grapefruit
Adding grapefruit, particularly red grapefruit, may help you both meet your daily nutritional needs and lower your LDL levels. The George Mateljan Foundation for the World's Healthiest Foods website cites research published in the March 2006 "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" that indicates eating both red and blond grapefruits can lower LDL cholesterol, but red grapefruits, which contain more bioactive compounds and total polyphenols than other types of grapefruit, decrease LDL levels more over a 30 day period. MayoClinic.com warns you to consult your physician before eating grapefruits or drinking grapefruit juice if you take drugs to lower your cholesterol, as this fruit can interfere with some medications.
Nuts
Consider eating more nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, peanuts and macadamia nuts. MayoClinic.com cites research that indicates eating nuts helps to lower your LDL cholesterol and can also reduce your risk of developing blood clots that can result in fatal heart attacks. More research is needed to confirm these findings, but the nutritional value of nuts offers a variety of heart-healthy vitamins and minerals, including unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, arginine, dietary fiber, vitamin E and plant sterols. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggests that eating 1.5 ounces of nuts per day will provide you with nutritional benefits while limiting your intake of calories. One ounce of walnuts contains 185 calories.
Beans
A bowl of beans offers you a nutritious snack or dinner while helping you to lower the LDL cholesterol levels in your blood. An article from the April 2003 "American Family Physician" journal reports that beans such as chick peas, kidney beans and navy beans may reduce your cholesterol, particularly the LDL variety. The article suggests adding beans to green salads, stews and pasta salads. These vegetables serve as a rich source of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber and phytochemicals that can benefit your health and positively affect cholesterol levels and your risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to Physorg.com.
References
- American Family Physician: Coronary Artery Disease: How Your Diet Can Help
- MayoClinic.com: Grapefruit juice: Can it cause drug interactions?
- MayoClinic.com: Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
- The George Mateljan Foundation for the World's Healthiest Foods: Grapefruit
- FamilyDoctor: Coronary Artery Disease: Reducing Your Risk
- Physorg.com: Nutritionists show what beans are worth
