High blood levels of cholesterol can put you at risk for developing heart disease. High cholesterol in the blood can slowly accumulate on the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart and can cause disorders such as a heart attack or stroke. Eating healthy foods can reduce your blood levels of cholesterol and reduce your risk for heart disease. A healthy diet includes foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat foods among others.
Avoid Saturated and Trans Fats
Reducing the amount of cholesterol-producing foods you eat is a healthy way of lowering your blood cholesterol levels. Foods such as butter, lard, gravy, coconut, bacon, coconut oil and cottonseed oil are sources of saturated and trans fat that lead to high cholesterol levels. To reduce the amount of saturated or trans fat in your diet, avoid cooking with solid fats such as butter or margarine. Use monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oils like canola and olive oil in your cooking. Your blood cholesterol levels may go down when you do this.
Choose Low-Fat Proteins
Red meat and egg yolks are both protein foods with high cholesterol content. A healthy diet that can help lower your blood cholesterol levels should limit high-cholesterol proteins and include protein foods that are not cholesterol-rich, such as lean meats and fish. The American Heart Association recommends eating no more than 6 oz. of cooked lean meat, poultry, fish or seafood a day. Fish is a good source of a nutrient known as omega-3 fatty acids. This fatty acid has the ability to reduce a type of fat called triglycerides and thus reduces your risk for heart disease.
Whole Grains
Whole-grain foods are those that contain all three parts of a grain: the bran, germ and endosperm. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, eating whole instead of refined grains substantially lowers total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin levels. A diet that consists of whole grains supplies B vitamins, vitamin E, selenium, magnesium, iron, fiber and other nutrients. Some sources of whole grain are brown rice, whole-grain pasta, ground flaxseed and foods made of whole grain such as whole-grain breads.
Fruits and Vegetables
A healthy, balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help lower your blood cholesterol levels. Fruits and vegetables provide fiber, have antioxidant properties and contain vitamins and minerals. The fiber content of fruits and vegetables can facilitate reduction in your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for heart disease. When you eat more fruits and vegetables, you may also reduce your consumption of high-fat foods.
Use Serving Sizes
To reduce your blood cholesterol levels, eat appropriate amounts of healthy foods. Despite the fact that certain foods have the ability to help lower your cholesterol levels, they have to be eaten in the right portions or sizes. Eating a lot of food that is considered a healthy choice may lead to the accumulation of calories, cholesterol and fat in your body. To avoid this, practice moderation when you eat and use proper food servings to determine how much food you should consume.
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