Welcome To Foods That Lower Cholesterol!
If you’re concerned about high levels of cholesterol, confused about “good” and “bad” cholesterol, and care about your heart-health, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to discuss foods that lower cholesterol and highlight natural solutions which help to lower cholesterol without drugs.
Choosing foods that lower cholesterol is easy – when you know what to look for.
Are there foods that lower cholesterol?
Rising cholesterol levels are one of the largest health concerns of the latter part of this decade. As more people become concerned about their cholesterol levels, they turn to one of two primary treatment methods: statin drugs, or foods that lower cholesterol. This website is not here to promote statins. In answer to the question above, yes, there are foods that can help bring cholesterol levels back into balance. Let’s start with a few. How about one of most people’s favorites?
1. Oats and whole grains. There’s a good reason that bread is sometimes called the “staff of life”. Now, if you’re concerned about healthy cholesterol levels, then you need to forget the white, refined, chewy, soft as dough white bread; that doesn’t count as “whole grains”. If bread is to be considered, then look to whole grain bread, made of healthy wheat, rye or spelt. If a person is gluten free, they can seek breads made from brown rice, millet, amaranth, buckwheat or quinoa. And who doesn’t like oats? (Maybe some of the sugary cereal generation). Oats are a delicious, nourishing grain, perfect for breakfast or a satisfying hot meal any time of the day. Why oats and whole grains? According to the Insulin Resistance Athersclerosis Study, those who consumed the most whole grains “had the thinnest carotid artery walls and showed the slowest progression in artery wall thickness.”
2. who doesn’t love blueberries? Blueberries are a delicious, low-sugar fruit. They’re loaded with healthy antioxidants; and contain a compound called “pterostilbene”, which may help to lower cholesterol as well as commercial medicines without the side effects.
3. Go nuts for nuts! Pistachios are a delicacy; and, according to a Penn State University study, the consumption of pistachios can significantly lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. And the American Journal of Cardiology showed that the anti-inflammatory Omega 3s found in walnuts and pecans may protect the heart after high fat meals. But…
4. Not all fat is bad! Even though avocados contain a high percentage of fat, they can help raise “healthy” cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol (the arch nemesis of the evil LDL cholesterol. Bwahahaha! You stand no chance, evil doing cholesterol!).
5. Taste the Mediterranean. Olives and olive oil are not only delicious snacks and wonderful in and on salads, but a key part of the “Mediterranean Diet”, which has been shown consistently to help protect against cholesterol and diabetes.
That’s all for Part 1. Stay tuned for the next part in another post!
6. Flaxseed Oil. Don’t be scared of things that sound like a health food. Okay, flaxseed oil is health food. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste good. In fact, flax has a delicious, slightly nutty, slightly sweet flavor. The seeds provide high quality fiber; and the oil has been shown to lower high blood pressure in men with high cholesterol. There was a recent three month study which concluded that daily supplementation with flaxseed oil by middle aged men (which meant a high Omega 3 intake) resulted in “significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure”.
7. Cranberry Juice isn’t just for urinary infections! In fact, the delicious, tart berry provides juice that is not only antibacterial, but when combined with pure grape juice, provided a mighty antioxidant punch against the oxidization of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. In other words, it stopped the fat inside of the body from going rancid; and that is a good thing.
8. Gone fishin’! The health benefits of fish have been touted for years. Maybe it’s not new news, but it’s always worth repeating: Fish is good for the heart. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology discovered that Type 2 diabetes who consumed high doses of fish oil over nine weeks lowered lowered the concentration and size of several types of cholesterol molecules in their bodies.
9. Say “soy-a-nara” to cholesterol! The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture showed that those who consumed black soybeans lowered their risk of obesity, LDL cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes.
10. Pomegranate Juice. If you haven’t tried pomegranate juice, please do! It’s a delicious fruit, sweet and exotic, with edible seeds that are like sweet candy jewels. Not only can pomegranate juice decrease arterial plaque, it can increase nitric oxide production which is of benefit to the arteries (and men, take note; nitric oxide also plays a critical role in erectile function!).
11. Eat more yogurt. If you don’t have a dairy intolerance, yogurt is a healthy choice. High in protein, yogurt can help prevent the re-absorption of cholesterol in the blood stream. Just make sure the yogurt is made with Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Lactobacillus Reuteri; these are “good bacteria” the body needs in the gut – better known as “probiotics”. But it has to be real yogurt; no sugar laden, artificially flavored, low-fat “fruit yogurt”. For the real benefits, eat the real thing!
Click here for part 3 of foods that lower cholesterol.