High total or high bad LDL cholesterol levels may increase your risk for heart disease. Changes in your diet to increase heart healthy foods and nutrients and reduce unhealthy ones may be able to lower your cholesterol if it is above the normal range. Many factors contribute to your heart disease risk, so always follow your doctor's instructions.
Healthy Fats
Healthy, unsaturated fats can lower your cholesterol levels if you eat them instead of unhealthy saturated fats. Monunsaturated fatty acids are in olive oil, olives, avocados, canola oil and peanut oil, and they may lower your LDL cholesterol without lowering your good HDL cholesterol levels, and Harvard University School of Public Health recommends that up to 25 percent of your total calories be from monounsaturated fats. A cholesterol-lowering diet should include omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish, flaxseed, canola oil or walnuts, because these polyunsaturated fats reduce your risk of heart disease.
Dietary Fiber
High-fiber foods are central to a cholesterol-lowering diet because dietary fiber lowers levels of LDL. Good sources are whole grains, nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables. You should get at least 5 to 10 g of soluble fiber per day. Many high-fiber foods are also high in lignans, which is similar to dietary fiber because it is a plant nutrient that can lower your cholesterol.Lignans are in seeds, bran, berries and vegetables, and flaxseed is the best source.
Fats to Avoid
A cholesterol-lowering diet should not include more than 7 percent of total calories from saturated fat. Fat provides 9 calories per g, so keep your daily saturated fat to less than 15 g fat if you are on a 2,000-calorie diet. Saturated fat is in high-fat animal foods, such as fatty meats and cheeses; butter and palm and coconut oils, according to the Mayo Clinic. You can further lower your cholesterol if you reduce your trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils, such as those in fried foods and many snack cookies and crackers. Limit your dietary cholesterol to less than 300 mg per day.
Weight Control
Obesity can cause high cholesterol. Prevent weight gain if you are already at a healthy weight, and try to lose weight if you are overweight. The Mayo Clinic states that you can reduce your cholesterol by losing even a small amount, such as 5 to 10 lbs., of extra weight. Sometimes dietary modifications are not enough to achieve healthy cholesterol levels, so be sure to consult your doctor and follow medical advice.
References
- The Nutrition Source; Fats and Cholesterol: out with the Bad, in with the Good; 2011
- Mayo Clinic; Cholesterol: Top 5 Foods to Lower Your Numbers; May, 2010
- Mayo Clinic; Top 5 Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Cholesterol; May, 2010
- Mayo Clinic; MUFAs: Why Should My Diet Include These Fats?; Katherine Zeratsky; November 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Lignans; Jane Higdon; December 2005
