Dietary changes may help you combat high cholesterol. A cholesterol test will reveal three types of fat in your bloodstream. Low density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol is an unhealthy fat that travels through your bloodstream and can clog your arteries. High density lipoprotein, or HDL cholesterol, helps remove fat from your body. Triglycerides act in ways similar to LDL cholesterol. Both wheat germ and oatmeal in your daily diet will help you lower your unhealthy cholesterol.
Wheat Germ
Wheat germ comes from the wheat kernel. Wheat germ is a small portion of the wheat kernel planted to grow into wheat plants. The wheat germ portion is the part that germinates or reproduces for the wheat grass to grow. This part of the kernel contains the highest amount of nutrients. The wheat germ, extracted from the plant, gets turned into a supplement that you can purchase in grocery stores and health food stores.
Plant Sterols
Wheat germ contains plant sterols. Foods containing plant sterols make the top-five list of cholesterol-reducing foods put together by MayoClinic.com. Plant sterols block the absorption of cholesterol into your body. Adding two servings of plant sterols -- about 2 g -- to your daily diet can decrease your cholesterol levels by 10 percent, according to MayoClinic.com. Plant sterols affect LDL levels but do not seem to affect HDL or triglyceride levels. Wheat germ also contains omega-3 fatty acid, which also helps lower LDL levels in your body.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal contains soluble fiber. Soluble fiber lowers levels of LDL cholesterol in your body. Soluble fiber also reduces the absorption of cholesterol into your blood. This lowers your LDL levels while not affecting your HDL levels. Soluble fiber also lowers your total cholesterol levels. Your body needs approximately 10 g of soluble fiber each day to lower your cholesterol. An average bowl of oatmeal contains approximately 6 g. If you add a banana or apple to your oatmeal, you increase the soluble fiber to approximately 10 g.
Considerations
Both oatmeal and wheat germ reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. They both lower your LDL levels while not affecting your healthy HDL levels. Both can be dietary choices for lowering your cholesterol. Other foods that are recommended for lowering your cholesterol levels include fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids and nuts such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts and pecans. You can also lower the amount of unhealthy fats in your body by losing weight, consuming less sugar and exercising more.
