Your diet is not the only factor playing a role in your blood cholesterol levels, but what you choose to eat can make a considerable impact. Certain foods actually have cholesterol-lowering properties, and when consumed as a part of a healthy diet, they can also decrease your risk of heart disease. However, while specific foods are important, you can maximize their cholesterol-lowering benefits by also getting regular exercise and avoiding cigarette smoke.
Plant-Based Proteins
Consuming plant-based proteins as a replacement for animal-based proteins can help you achieve lower unhealthy cholesterol levels. Your liver naturally produces enough protein to keep you healthy, making it unnecessary to consume cholesterol in your diet. Meat, dairy and eggs all contain cholesterol, and when consumed regularly, they add unhealthy cholesterol to your diet and as a result increase your blood cholesterol levels. By replacing these animal-based products with plant-based products such as beans, soy, nuts and nut butters you will reduce your dietary cholesterol, which will result in a drop in unhealthy blood cholesterol levels.
Soluble Fiber
While all fiber is an important part of your overall health, soluble fiber can help lower your levels of unhealthy cholesterol. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in your intestines, and this gel lines the walls of your intestines. The gel barrier along the walls of your intestines helps reduce the amount of cholesterol that is absorbed. Also, by consuming soluble fiber you help reduce the amount of cholesterol your liver makes.
By eating the recommended amounts of daily fiber, which is 25 to 35g a day, you will get an adequate amount of soluble fiber, because most high-fiber foods contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. However, certain foods, such as oats, barley, beans and some produce, offer rich sources of soluble fiber.
Omega-3
Foods containing considerable amounts of omega-3 fatty acids can help raise your good cholesterol and lower your bad cholesterol. Possible sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish, olive oil, flax seed, walnuts and canola oil. Eating omega-3 rich foods as a part of your regular diet can help you lower unhealthy cholesterol levels.
Plant Sterols
Plant sterols occur naturally in some foods and thus are being added as ingredients to food products. Consuming at least 2g of plant sterols every day can help lower your blood cholesterol levels while blocking your body's absorption of cholesterol. According to Health Castle, you can lower your LDL cholesterol by as much as 10 to 15 percent with plant sterols. Possible sources of plant sterols include fortified orange juice and fortified margarine.
