Lowering Cholesterol with these Five Foods
- Oatmeal and Oat Bran: These contain a high amount of soluble fiber, which can lower LDL.
- Fish: Fish is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, which lowers LDL and raises HDL. High omega 3 content is found in sardines.
- Nuts: Not only are nuts high in fiber, but they contain the healthy fats you need to keep LDL in check.
- Plant Sterols: Found in foods like margarine, salad dressing, orange juice, and functional cookies. 2 grams per day will lower your LDL by 10-15%.
- Soy: This popular meat replacement can lower LDL by up to 3%.
Benefits of Plant Sterols
Granola bars, Benecol Spread, fat free milk and VitaTops Muffin tops are great food sources that also have a great amount of plant sterols in them. If you want to assist your heart, you can do so by eating foods rich in plant sterols and staying away from saturated fat rich foods, especially trans fats. It can’t, however, cancel out a diet loaded with saturated fats. To keep your cholesterol in check and make sure it stays down, you must exercise often and eat healthy.