If you are having high cholesterol for a long time or just been diagnosed with it, don’t worry. You can eat your way out of it! Changing the diet you eat can lower your cholesterol and decrease the fat floating in your bloodstream. You just need to eat foods with low LDL, the bad cholesterol, which contributes to clogging of arteries. And, also cut back on foods that boost LDL.
Let’s look at the foods which make to list of foods which are effective in lowering LDL.
- Oats: Oats are a superfood which is rich in soluble fiber, which binds and drags them out of the body before they get into the bloodstream. Oatmeal is ideal for breakfast and also very easy to make.
- Beans: Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber and are slow digesting food which means they will keep you full for a longer time. It will help you lose weight too, along with lowering cholesterol. Red kidney beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas are some of the best sources of fiber.
- Eggplant and Okra: Commonly known as Brinjal and Lady’s finger, are very low-calorie vegetables and good sources of soluble fiber.
- Nuts: Eating nuts like almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and other nuts in moderation are very healthy for your heart as it slightly lowers LDL.
- Fruits: Fruits like apples, grapes, strawberries and other citrus fruits are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that lowers LDL.
- Soy: Soybeans and soy products, like tofu and soy milk are rich in protein and fiber. Consuming 25 grams of soy protein a day can lower cholesterol, LDL by 5% to 6%.
- Fatty fish: Fatty fishes are rich in Omega-3s, which reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream thus lowering cholesterol. Eating fish two or three times a week can lower LDL and boost heart health.
- Whole Grains: Oats, oat bran, barley and other whole grains, which are rich in soluble fiber, which can help lower the risk of heart disease.
