High cholesterol may be hereditary for some people, but many others can lower their blood cholesterol levels simply by making some lifestyle changes, including eating well. Cheerios claims to help you lower your cholesterol levels simply by eating it every day. While foods like Cheerios can help, there is more to keeping cholesterol in check than simply pouring yourself a bowl of cereal.
The Claim
The Cheerios website claims that eating its cereal every day can help you lower your cholesterol levels. However, it does add that Cheerios should also be eaten in addition to other heart-healthy foods that are low in both saturated fats and cholesterol. There is actually some truth to this claim. In the cereal aisle, filled with products containing neon colors, artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup, Cheerios is certainly one of the healthier products available.
Cholesterol-Lowering Foods
There are plenty of foods that can potentially help you lower your cholesterol. These include whole grains, fish and certain nuts. Number one on MayoClinic.com's list of cholesterol-lowering food are those filled with soluble fiber: oatmeal and oat bran, as well as other foods like prunes and beans. Fiber can not only inhibit cholesterol absorption, but it can also help lower your LDL cholesterol, the bad kind, if you eat between 5 and 10 g per day, per MayoClinic.com.
Can Cheerios Lower Cholesterol?
Plain Cheerios do fit MayoClinic.com's description of a cholesterol-lowering food. However, they cannot do it alone. As printed on the nutrition label, a 1 cup serving of Cheerios contains 3 g of fiber; however, only 1 g is actually soluble fiber. You would need to eat at least 4 g more of soluble fiber for it to have any impact on your LDL levels. Still, the first ingredient in plain Cheerios is whole grain oats, including the bran. In addition, they are low in overall fat, and contain no saturated fats, trans fats or cholesterol, all ingredients that should be avoided when your LDL levels are in question.
Using Cheerios Wisely
Cheerios can be part of a healthy cholesterol diet, however there are a few guidelines to follow. First, consider your serving size. While it is true that eating more than one serving will increase your soluble fiber tally, you may miss out on other key nutrients by doing so. Other foods recommended by MayoClinic.com include olive oil, almonds and oily fish. In addition, most people do not eat cereal dry. While skim milk is fat free, adding one percent or two percent milk increases your cereal's fat content as well as its calorie count. Finally, don't expect Cheerios, or any other food, to be a miracle cure for your high cholesterol. The American Heart Association reports that your body makes 75 percent of your total cholesterol, leaving only 25 percent to be affected by the foods you eat. If diet does not improve your cholesterol, or if your levels are dangerously high, your doctor may recommend medications.
