High cholesterol levels in the bloodstream are related to high blood pressure and heart disease. You may want to lower your cholesterol by altering your diet to include healthier foods, such as those with high fiber and low saturated fats and carbohydrates. At the same time, you should limit food and drink that raise your cholesterol levels. These include fatty meats and sweetened foods and beverages.
Foods to Decrease
Step 1
Stop eating high-cholesterol foods such as liver and other organ meats. Reserve others, such as fast-food double-patty cheeseburgers, for occasional treats.
Step 2
Reduce the saturated fat in meat entrees through healthy cooking methods. Trimming the fat and skin off of meats and broiling or grilling instead of sauteing or frying will lower the amount of saturated fats in your diet and help you to reduce your cholesterol levels.
Step 3
Reduce cholesterol when eating eggs by using two whites in place of one yolk plus white.
Step 4
Drink milk in a healthy diet while cutting cholesterol. Choose nonfat over whole milk or switch to soy milk, which has no cholesterol.
Step 5
Cut carbohydrates that add to high cholesterol and triglycerides, which are related fatty acids that affect heart health. One quick way to do so is to avoid sweeteners in desserts and carbonated beverages.
Foods to Increase
Step 1
Add high-fiber foods to lower cholesterol in your diet. Oatmeal, kidney beans and apples all contain soluble fiber that decreases "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL).
Step 2
Lower cholesterol by eating fish such as salmon, trout and herring, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids. You'll get the protein you need with little saturated fat and a boost of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL)
Step 3
Get the fatty acids you need through additional unsaturated fat sources, including canola oil, olive oil and ground flaxseeds. Nuts such as walnuts and almonds provide polyunsaturated fats as well as omega-3 nutrients.
Tips and Warnings
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends consuming 300 mg or less of cholesterol daily. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) goes a step farther, using 200 mg as the cut-off point for a healthy diet. Adults should have their cholesterol levels checked once every five years, according to the National Cholesterol Education Program. Those with heart conditions or a history of high cholesterol should monitor blood levels more often.
- If you lower cholesterol by drastically reducing or eliminating animal protein sources, be sure to make up for the reduced intake of essential vitamins and minerals. Add foods with B vitamins to your healthy diet or take a multivitamin supplement.
