Cholesterol is a fatty, wax-like substance found in your body and in animal-based foods such as eggs, meat and whole milk. Although your body requires some cholesterol to produce hormones, make use of dietary fat and sustain bone health, having too much cholesterol in your body can increase your risk of heart disease. Balance your diet to prevent high cholesterol levels.
Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats are found in foods such as almonds, peanut butter, cashews, hazelnuts, olive oil and canola oil. They are considered the top healthiest fat for the heart. One reason is because they decrease your "bad" cholesterol, which accumulates in arteries and can lead to heart disease. In addition, they increase your "good" cholesterol, which helps your body get rid of the "bad" cholesterol, according to MayoClinic.com.
Polyunsaturated Fats
Polyunsaturated fats are found in foods such as sesame seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, corn oil, cottonseed oil and fish. These fats are also healthy for your heart. They may also help improve your cholesterol and your body uses them to reduce your blood pressure, clot blood and fight off invaders. Polyunsaturated fats come in two varieties: linolenic acid and linoleic acid. Linolenic fatty acids, also known as omega-3 fatty acids, are an essential form of polyunsaturated fat to consume because your body can't produce them on its own. Improve your heart health by eating at least two or three servings of fish per week and supplement it with plant sources such as nuts, flaxseed oil and leafy greens.
Fiber
Soluble fiber is found in foods such as oatmeal, beans, rice bran, citrus fruits and strawberries. Getting at least five to 10g of soluble fiber can help reduce your "bad" cholesterol, so eat plenty of it. One way to get in some daily soluble fiber is to start your day with a bowl of oatmeal. Make a serving of 1½ cups of oatmeal for the first 6g of fiber and add a sliced banana to the top for an extra 4g of fiber.
Sterols and Stanols
Sterols and stanols are substances from plants that can help block your body from absorbing cholesterol. Consuming foods and drinks that have been fortified with sterols and stanols may help reduce your "bad" cholesterol by over 10 percent as long as you take in at least 2g per day, according to MayoClinic.com. Foods and drinks that are commonly fortified with sterols and stanols include orange juice, margarines and yogurt drinks; the label of a food or drink product should advertise its fortification if it does contain sterols or stanols.
Considerations
What you don't eat can improve your cholesterol. Saturated fats, found commonly in animal products such as meat and full-fat dairy, may raise your total cholesterol. Trans fats, commonly found in store-bought baked goods and fried foods such as French fries and donuts, has been shown to decrease "good" cholesterol and increase "bad" cholesterol. To promote optimum health, reduce your saturated intake to less than 10 percent of your daily calories and completely cut out trans fats by avoiding products with "partially hydrogenated oil" on the list of ingredients.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cholesterol
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the Good
- MayoClinic.com: Cholesterol: Top Five Foods to Lower Your Numbers
- MayoClinic.com: High Cholesterol: Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- Center for Young Women's Health: Dietary Fat and Cholesterol
- American Heart Association: Cholesterol, Fiber and Oat Bran
