You can lower your cholesterol with diet. More than 102 million American adults have high cholesterol levels, according to the American Heart Association. Nutrition plays a significant role in the development, prevention and treatment of high cholesterol. Learn to use diet to lower your blood cholesterol levels and your subsequent risk for developing cardiovascular disease.
Step 1
Avoid foods known to raise cholesterol, like those containing saturated fat. Your body absorbs fat and dietary cholesterol and converts it into a lipid, which is a form of cholesterol the body uses for various functions. Lipids are hydrophobic, which means they are insoluble in the watery plasma of blood. Your body overcomes this by packaging lipids onto lipoproteins. LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, transports cholesterol from your gut through your bloodstream. Saturated fat, found in animal products such as meat, whole milk and cheese, raises your LDL more than anything else in your diet, according to the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute.
Step 2
Eat food high in fiber, like whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Soluble fiber binds with dietary cholesterol before your body has a chance to absorb it. Your liver uses cholesterol for many purposes, including creating bile acids used for digestion. Soluble fiber also attaches to these bile acids. Your liver then draws cholesterol from the bloodstream to use for manufacturing more bile acids. Only food from plant sources contains dietary fiber--food from animals does not provide any fiber to your diet.
Step 3
Make vegetables the main course and treat meat as a side dish. Vegetables are nutrient-rich and contain soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber, found in whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit, adds volume to food. This leaves you more satisfied after healthy meals and less likely to snack on unhealthy treats.
Step 4
Eat smaller portions and skip the snacks. Lose weight to increase your HDL, which is a component in your blood that lowers cholesterol and reverses some of the damage cholesterol accumulation has inflicted on your circulatory system. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, scrapes hardened cholesterol and fatty deposits from inside arterial walls. HDL then transports cholesterol to the liver, where it is processed and eliminated from your body. HDL also has anti-inflammatory properties which reduces the damage cholesterol has done. Increase HDL one point for every 6 lbs. you lose and your cholesterol level will decrease over time.
Step 5
Eat fish at least twice a week. Cold water fish, like mackerel and salmon, contain omega-3 fatty acids, known to be beneficial to HDL levels. Ground flaxseed contains small amounts of omega-3. Olive and canola oils improve HDL's anti-inflammatory abilities which reduces the damage done by high cholesterol.
Step 6
Prepare foods in a healthy, low-fat manner. Use tub margarine with plant sterols instead of stick butter. Bake, grill, roast or microwave foods instead of frying. Choose egg whites or egg substitute over whole eggs whenever possible.
