High levels of cholesterol are the root cause of several health ailments. There are diets to lower cholesterol that you can follow to eliminate this problem and reduce the levels of cholesterol in your body.
The problem with cholesterol is that it clogs your arteries contributing to atherosclerosis. Foods that lower cholesterol will allow your body enough time to recoup from serious clogging while preventing further damage to the arteries.
We have a list of foods that lower cholesterol to help improve the condition of your heart naturally with time.
Best Foods To Lower Cholesterol
There are several food items that you can incorporate into your diet to lower cholesterol. Here is a list of the top 10 foods that lower cholesterol to help you out:
Whole Grains Like Barley
Whole grains are an excellent source to introduce foods that lower cholesterol into your system. Foods that are rich in fibre and nutrients provide the body with the necessary ingredients to produce the required amounts of energy and regulate good heart health.
You can introduce whole grains such as Barley, wheat, bran, oats, oat brans, and other high nutrition whole grains into your diet. There are several recipes that you can check out on YouTube or Food Network to incorporate these foods that lower cholesterol into your daily diet.
Oats
Oats are a kind of superfood that has unparalleled benefits for the body. You can incorporate it very easily into your diet to lower cholesterol.
Opt for a low cholesterol breakfast that contains soluble fibres with oats. You can even substitute with oat-based cereals. You can top it off with fruits such as strawberries or bananas to amplify the benefits of the best foods to lower cholesterol.
Nuts
Nuts are rich in a lot of healthy fats and calories inducing agents. Researchers have found that consuming small amounts of nuts such as almonds, peanuts, walnuts, etc. can reduce the levels of LDL in your system tremendously.
Nuts also induce a feeling of fullness that reduces your need to munch on snacks. Thus, they inadvertently inspire you to reduce your intake of high-cholesterol food items.
Beans
Beans have been known to be rich in proteins and induce the feeling of fullness too. There are several types of beans and numerous recipes in which you can incorporate them.
You can eat kidney beans, lima beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, black-eyed peas, and several healthy beans into your diet to lower cholesterol. Beans are the ideal food to eat to lower cholesterol because it also helps reduce hunger pangs throughout the day, thus helping you to maintain a healthy weight and eating habits.
Okra And Brinjal Or Eggplant
If you want excellent sources of soluble fibres in the body that will help keep up your levels of energy with optimum synthesis, then okra and eggplants or brinjals are the safest bets.
You can incorporate these food items in baked or cooked recipes. They are excellent sources of energy and also provide the necessary nutrients to your body.
Strawberries, Apples, Grapes, And Citric Fruits
Fruits are always the optimum choice when you look for foods that lower cholesterol. Strawberries and other berries are rich in antioxidants, citric fruits are excellent sources of vitamin C, grapes and apples are not only easy to consume but offer excellent health benefits.
Incorporating these best foods to lower cholesterol serves more than one purpose. You can snack on them or eat them for important meals as well. Apple, in particular, is an excellent food to eat to lower cholesterol levels in your body.
Vegetable Oils
High sources of cholesterol are usually found in oils and they tend to block the arteries fairly quickly. Fortunately, you can switch over to heart-healthy oils that are good to incorporate into your diet to lower cholesterol.
Ideally, you can choose from options that offer white oils such as vegetable oil, canola oil, etc. You can even opt for variants such as sunflower oil mustard oil, and olive oil as well. They are excellent replacements for heavy cholesterol-inducing supplements such as lard, butter, and other heavy cooking items.
Soy Products
Soy products are not only supplements for lactose but excellent alternatives for foods that lower cholesterol as well. Soy is a food to eat to lower cholesterol that you can consume in many forms.
To begin with, you can opt for soy alternatives to milk. You can also consume soybeans and items prepared out of soy such as tofu. Soy products in your diet to lower cholesterol can reduce the levels of LDL rapidly.
Fish Fats
Meats tend to contain saturated fats so replacing them with fish is an excellent source of food to eat to lower cholesterol. Additionally, fish fats, which are available in the form of oil supplements as well, provide healthy fats for the body to burn and produce energy.
Omega 3 supplements have been known to help as the best foods to lower cholesterol. Introduce these fish fats into your meal or take them as supplements to enjoy their benefits to the fullest.
Fortified Foods That Are Composed Of Stanols And Sterols
While processed foods are generally bad news for the body, fortified foods containing stanols and sterols are excellent additions to packaged foods. Many companies have begun to incorporate them as raw ingredients, especially in foods advertised as healthy.
You can find these components in granola bars, juices, chocolates, etc. It is good to substitute ordinary packaged foods with these foods that lower cholesterol to receive the daily dose of nutrients and simultaneously reduce the levels of LDL in your system.
These foods that lower cholesterol is excellent substitutions for staples. You can incorporate these items into your diet to lower cholesterol and lead yourself and your loved ones towards a healthy lifestyle.
Use the best foods to lower cholesterol to clear the blockages in your arteries. You can snack on fruits and nuts during the day to keep up your requirement for fats in the body to produce energy. Eventually, you will notice fewer instances of heartburns and heaviness in your body.
