Filling Your Plate with Foods that Lower Cholesterol

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Managing your cholesterol level can be challenging. However, considering what you eat throughout the day and being mindful of making healthy, nutritious dietary decisions can simplify lowering cholesterol. Discover food choices to consider for your journey toward lower cholesterol.

What Is Cholesterol?

Found in the blood, cholesterol is produced by the liver and looks fatty and wax-like. It travels through the bloodstream on lipoproteins, helping the body perform vital functions, from digesting high-fat foods to producing hormones.

The liver naturally makes all the cholesterol you need. However, certain foods can elevate cholesterol levels, making it crucial to maintain a healthy diet. Too much cholesterol in the blood can stick to artery walls, causing them to narrow or become blocked. Having high cholesterol levels can increase your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke and blood clots, among other consequences.

Because high cholesterol levels do not typically cause symptoms, checking your cholesterol levels regularly is crucial to good health and well-being.

Foods that Lower Cholesterol

With simple nutritional adjustments, you can start improving your heart health and lowering your cholesterol. Learn more about nutrients to include in your diet.

Soluble Fiber

This type of fiber dissolves into a gel-like substance, which can help decrease cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fiber keeps the digestive tract from absorbing cholesterol. You can find soluble fiber in:

Apples
Bananas
Carrots
Citrus fruits
Eggplant
Grapes
Lima, garbanzo, black-eyed, lentil and kidney beans
Oat bran and oatmeal
Okra
Oranges
Pears
Peas
Strawberries
Whole-grain bread and pasta

Healthy Fats

A maximum of 25% to 35% of your daily caloric intake should consist of dietary fats found in:

Lean meat (like baked or roasted chicken)
Nuts (like almonds, peanuts, walnuts and pecans)
Unsaturated oils (such as olive oil, canola oil or safflower oils)

Fatty Fish

Salmon, mackerel, tuna and other fatty fish are heart-healthy and recommended for meals at least two times a week. They contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are healthy fats that help lower triglyceride levels.

Sterols and Stanols

Also known as phytosterols, sterols and stanols are plant compounds. Sterols and stanols inhibit the absorption of cholesterol from food. Aside from taking supplements, they can be found naturally in the following foods:

Fruits
Legumes
Nuts
Seeds
Vegetables and vegetable oils
Whole grains

Additionally, many food manufacturers add sterols and stanols to products like:

Bread
Dairy products, including cheese, milk and yogurt
Orange juice
Spreads

Soy

Soy milk, tofu and other foods made from soybeans are great choices for supporting a lower-cholesterol diet, although they make a marginal difference compared to the other food groups mentioned above.

What to Avoid for Better Cholesterol Levels

The key to healthy living—and maintaining ideal cholesterol levels—is avoiding certain foods and drinks and unhealthy habits.

Limit saturated fat and maintain a diet low in total fat. Saturated fat increases bad cholesterol levels and is usually found in the following:

Baked goods
Chocolate
Deep-fried foods
Processed foods

Meanwhile, trans fats should also be avoided, as they can raise bad cholesterol levels and lower good cholesterol levels. Trans fats used to be prominent in foods made with hydrogenated fats and oils, like crackers, French fries and stick margarine. However, the use of trans fats as an ingredient in foods was banned in the United States in 2018.

Cut Down or Abstain from Alcohol

Alcohol consumption can lead to weight gain, and being overweight is a risk factor for low HDL and high LDL levels. Alcohol can also raise triglyceride levels and increase blood pressure. Therefore, limiting alcohol intake is an important part of a heart-healthy diet.

Choose Healthier Cooking Oils

Though they make foods taste better, shortening, butter and lard can all lead to higher LDL levels. Pick vegetable oil instead—there are many types, including canola, sunflower, safflower, avocado and olive oil.