A high "bad" cholesterol level increases your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack or stroke. If a blood test shows your low-density lipoproteins are high, you can reduce this bad cholesterol to a healthier level if you quit smoking, lose excess weight and get regular exercise; some patients also require medication. Diet changes are also necessary, but speak with a health care provider before making major adjustments to your diet.
Identification
Cholesterol is a waxy substance produced by your body and found in many foods. Your body needs some cholesterol to survive, but it produces all that is needed. Cholesterol does not dissolve in the blood, so it must be transported by carriers. One carrier is LDLs, which are considered the bad kind of cholesterol because they take cholesterol out of the liver to be stored in elsewhere in your body. The other carrier is high-density lipoproteins, which are considered "good" cholesterol because they take cholesterol to the liver to be excreted. To prevent health complications, the American Academy of Family Physicians suggests taking steps to raise your HDL level to 60 mg per deciliter of blood or higher and lower your LDL level to 100 mg per deciliter of blood or less.
Dietary Cholesterol
The first step in lowering your LDL or bad cholesterol level is to reduce your dietary intake of cholesterol. According to the American Heart Association, healthy individuals with a high LDL level should limit their total cholesterol intake to less 200 mg per day. This means cutting back on foods such as meats, poultry, shellfish, eggs, butter, cheese and whole-milk dairy products and looking for leaner or low-fat options. With packaged products, do not rely on claims on the packaging; read the nutrition label to see exactly how much cholesterol is in each serving of food and notice how small a serving size is.
Saturated and Trans Fats
It is also important to watch fat intake. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends reducing your intake of saturated and trans fats to help lower your LDL level. The body makes all of the saturated fat it needs, so dietary sources can be reduced. Saturated fats are found in foods such as meats, seafood, poultry with skin, whole-milk dairy products, coconut and coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil. Saturated fats raise your LDL level. Trans fats are created when foods are hydrogenated, and they are found in commercially prepared baked goods and snack, processed, restaurant and fast foods. Trans fats raise LDL and reduce HDL levels. Saturated fats should make up no more than 7 percent of your total caloric intake, and trans fats should be less than 1 percent.
Healthy Fats, Plant Sterols and Fiber
Increasing fiber intake has been shown to lower the LDL cholesterol level because it inhibits cholesterol from being absorbed into the bloodstream, reports MayoClinic.com. Whole-grain foods, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products all contain fiber, and the goal is to get 25 to 30 g per day, says the American Heart Association. In addition, eating a handful, or about 1.5 oz., a day of almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios or walnuts can bring your bad cholesterol level down. Unsaturated forms of fat such as olive oil also can be used to help lower HDL and protect HDL levels, as can consuming foods with plant sterols such as margarine, orange juice and yogurt drinks.
