Three dietary approaches to lowering cholesterol include choosing good fats over bad, avoiding dietary cholesterol and eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables. These three techniques work best when combined into one diet that will not only reduce your cholesterol, but also decrease your risk of developing chronic diseases.
High Cholesterol
A blood test is a simple way to measure your cholesterol levels. A typical cholesterol test checks four numbers, including your total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, is referred to as "bad" cholesterol, because the higher your LDL level, the greater your risk of heart disease. This cholesterol can build up in your arteries, causing blockages. On the other hand, HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is a desirable form of cholesterol -- the higher your HDL, the lower your risk for heart disease, because HDL helps clear bad cholesterol from your bloodstream. An ideal cholesterol test has a total cholesterol count of less than 200 mg/dL, less than 150 mg/dL of triglycerides, less than 100 mg/dL of LDL and 40 mg/dL or higher of HDL. It is important to understand what types of foods cause your cholesterol to increase. If you learn to avoid those foods and focus your diet on healthier options, you will develop healthy cholesterol levels.
Foods and Cholesterol
Your cholesterol count is affected by the foods you eat in two different ways. First, some foods contain high dietary cholesterol, including eggs, shrimp, liver and lobster. When you eat these foods, your body naturally absorbs the cholesterol, increasing your levels slightly. The second way that food affects your cholesterol is through the types of fats you eat. If you follow a diet high in saturated or trans fat, you may be at risk for high cholesterol. These fats trigger your body to produce cholesterol, including LDL, and are the biggest contributors to the total levels of cholesterol in your bloodstream. Saturated fats are found in red meat and animal products, and trans fats are commonly found in processed foods.
What You Should Eat
A diet to reduce your cholesterol should start by limiting your saturated and trans fat intake and avoiding large amounts of meat, animal products, dairy, fast foods and processed foods. Add healthy, unsaturated fats from plants, seeds, nuts, fish and vegetable oils like olive and canola oil, which can help keep your cholesterol in the ideal range. Healthy fats contain omega-3 fatty acids that improve heart health and may help control cholesterol levels. Consume a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains to obtain essential nutrients. These foods provide dietary fiber that can help your digestion and reduce your body weight, which will help you lower your cholesterol levels.
Considerations
The three main dietary approaches to reducing cholesterol will all help your levels somewhat, but the experts at the Harvard School of Public Health state that the mix of fats you eat plays the largest role. It is not enough to just eat low-fat -- successful cholesterol control is about choosing healthy unsaturated fats and avoiding saturated and trans fats. In addition, you need fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and other forms of healthy foods that provide fiber, nutrients, vitamins and minerals. These foods are low in dietary cholesterol and help your body function properly. Fiber in particular helps clear cholesterol from your body.
