1. Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Fish has healthy fats that are good for your heart, due to the large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in the fish. These work well in decreasing your risk of blood clots and bringing your blood pressure down. It is recommended that for the maximum benefits, you eat a minimum of two servings of fish every week. Fish is generally also low in cholesterol, and all of the benefits associated with it will help keep your cholesterol levels healthy.
2. Oatmeal, Bran, and Other Foods That Are High in Fiber
There is soluble fiber in oatmeal. Soluble fiber helps to bring down your LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein cholesterol, otherwise known as the “bad” cholesterol) levels. Additionally, oatmeal and bran are very low in cholesterol themselves.
3. Nuts, Such as Almonds and Walnuts
Nuts have lots of calories, but they are very good in terms of health benefits. They can decrease blood cholesterol levels, as long as you limit them to about a handful at a time. They are also rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, meaning that they are good for maintaining the health of blood vessels. As long as you make sure that the nuts are not coated with salt or sugar, they can be extremely healthy. In fact, it would be a good idea to replace a lot of the foods in your diet that have high amounts of saturated fat with different types of nuts.
4. Foods That Contain Added Plant Stanols or Sterols
There are now foods that have been fortified with stanols or sterols. These are chemical compounds that have been found in plants, which in humans, aid in blocking cholesterol absorption. Some examples are yogurt drinks, orange juice, and different types of margarine that have these additional plant sterols. These foods can help decrease LDL levels by over 10%. They do not seem to have an effect on HDL (high density lipoprotein cholesterol, otherwise known as the “good” cholesterol) levels.
5. Olive Oil
The mixture of ingredients that make up olive oil contains antioxidants that can decrease your LDL levels while having no effect on your HDL levels. It would be beneficial to replace other fats that you normally consume with 2 tablespoons of olive oil per day. However, remember that it is an oil and has a large number of calories, so do not consume too much of it.
Overall, it is a good idea to minimize your intake of anything that contain saturated and trans fats if you are trying to lower your cholesterol level. The above foods are just a few of the foods with less cholesterol you can try.