What you eat can positively or negatively affect your cholesterol level. Eating too many foods high in saturated fats such as beef and cheese will raise your LDL (low-density lipoprotein) levels, negatively affecting your cholesterol. Eating food that comes from plants, nuts and fish providing soluble fiber and polyunsaturated fats will help lower LDL levels and "bad" cholesterol.
Oatmeal
Both the Mayo Clinic and Harvard Medical School agree that eating soluble fiber foods like oatmeal or other oat cereal will provide you with generous amounts of fiber, reducing your LDL levels and cholesterol. Adding fruit such as strawberries and apples, also high in soluble fiber, will start your day with 6-10 grams of fiber, depending on the portion.
Nuts
Adding a small handful of nuts to your diet, such as almonds and walnuts, will increase the amount of polyunsaturated fats (good fats) and help decrease your risk of heart disease.
Fish
Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, tuna and sardines not only decrease your risk of heart disease, but also lower blood pressure. Eaten two to three times a week, or taken as a supplement, it is a good way to reduce your LDL levels and avoid the "bad" cholesterol.
Oils
Using vegetable oils such as olive oil or canola oil in place of lard, butter or other fatty oils has been shown to lower LDL levels. The process of turning oil into solid form, like shortening, and then using it in a recipe or to fry food creates a unhealthy chemical process that turns the oil rancid and increases LDL levels.
Sterols and Stanols
Food fortified with compounds from plants called sterols and stanols block the body's ability to absorb cholesterol. Obtaining 2 grams a day from margarines, salad dressings or mayonnaise that are fortified with sterols or stanols is reported by the American Heart Association to lower cholesterol by 10 to 20 percent.
Balanced Diet
Selecting a good variety of food from different sources and eating in moderation is recommended to help keep your diet in balance. The average person's diet should contain 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day, with approximately half coming from soluble fiber. Cutting back on saturated and trans fats (high fat foods), and increasing your polyunsaturated fats to include more fish, fruit and whole grains will help balance your diet, lower your LDL, cholesterol and risk for heart disease.
Caution
If your cholesterol level is high, it's recommended you consult a physician to determine whether diet alone is enough to safely lower your cholesterol.
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