Include these foods to lower LDL cholesterol
Different foods lower cholesterol in different ways. Some provide soluble fiber, which binds to cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive tract and carries them out of the body before they get into circulation. Some foods will give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol.
Oats.
Oats are the best and easiest first step to lowering your cholesterol is to have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. This gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. You can Add a banana or some strawberries for another half gram. As per the nutrition guidelines recommend getting 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day, with at least 5 to 10 grams coming from soluble fiber. (The average American gets half that amount.)
Barley and other whole grains
Like oats and oat bran, barley, and other whole grains may help reduce the risk of heart disease, mainly through the soluble fiber they provide.
Beans.
Beans are very high in soluble fiber. They take a while for the body to digest, which means you feel full for a long time after eating them. This is why beans are a useful food for people trying to lose weight. With so many options — from navy and kidney beans to lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, and more — and so many ways to prepare them, beans are a very versatile food.
Eggplant and okra
Both of These two are low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber.
Nuts
Several studies show that eating almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and other nuts is good for the heart. Eating 2 ounces of nuts a day can lower LDL slightly by about 5%. Nuts contain additional nutrients that protect the heart in other ways.
Vegetable oils
Using liquid vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower, safflower, and others instead of butter, lard, or fats when cooking or at the dinner table helps lower LDL.
Fruits
Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits. All these fruits are rich sources of pectin, a type of soluble fiber that lowers LDL.
Foods rich in sterols and stanols
Sterols and stanols extracted from plants reduce the body’s ability to absorb cholesterol from food. Companies are adding them to foods ranging from granola bars and margarine to orange juice and chocolate. They are also available as supplements. Taking 2 grams of plant sterols or stanols daily can lower LDL cholesterol by about 10%.
Soya
Eating soybeans and foods made from them, such as tofu and soy milk, was once touted as a powerful way to lower cholesterol. Analyses show the effect is more modest — consuming 25 grams of soy protein daily (10 ounces of tofu or 2 1/2 cups of soy milk) may lower LDL by 5% to 6%.
Fatty fish
Eating fish two or three times a week may lower LDL in two ways: by replacing meat, which contains LDL-raising saturated fats, and by providing LDL-lowering omega-3 fats. Omega-3s lower triglycerides in the bloodstream and also protect the heart by helping to prevent the onset of abnormal heart rhythms.