Cholesterol LDL – Foods to Help You Lower LDL Levels

There are many people who deal with high cholesterol levels. If you have high cholesterol it is important that you learn everything you can do to bring those levels down. When you have your cholesterol tested you’ll notice that the doctor speaks of LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. The LDL cholesterol is the type of cholesterol that is bad for you, while HDL is good for you and can actually help get rid of the bad cholesterol. If your Cholesterol LDL is much too high, you are going to have to start working on a way to bring it back down to normal. One of the best ways to lower the level of bad cholesterol in your body is to eat the right things. So, the following are some foods you can add to your diet to help lower the level of LDL cholesterol in your body.

Food #1 – Almonds and Walnuts – If you want to lower your bad cholesterol levels you may want to consider adding nuts like almonds and walnuts to your diet. Many studies have shown that eating walnuts can help you lower the blood cholesterol and almonds do the very same thing. While nuts are high in calories and fats they are good for you and can help lower cholesterol levels; however, you should avoid eating too many of them.

Food #2 – Oatmeal – Another food you may want to consider eating if you want to lower cholesterol LDL is oatmeal. More than likely you have heard that oatmeal is good for you, but you may not realize how much it can help your cholesterol. There is soluble fiber in oatmeal, which can help to reduce the LDL cholesterol in your blood. Of course there are other foods that contain soluble fiber as well, including pears, kidney beans, apples, prunes, brussel sprouts, barley, and psyllium.

Food #3 – Food Rich in Omega-3’s – For many years researchers have been singing the praises of fish and other foods that are rich in omega-3’s and eating these foods can actually help you lower the levels of bad cholesterol. It is recommended that you eat about 2-3 servings of fish each work if you want to reap the benefits of fish; however, you should avoid frying it. Some other foods that are rich in omega-3’s include canola oil, flaxseed, soybean oil, and walnuts.

Food #4 – Plant Stanols or Sterols – There are many foods that are available today that are fortified with plant stanols or sterols, which come from plants. These substances can actually help to block the body’s absorption of cholesterol. Some of the foods that are fortified with these substances include some juices and margarines. However, it is important to note that products that are fortified with stanols and sterols should only be used by people who do have high levels of bad cholesterol.

While these are several foods that can help you reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in your body, there are some things that can make your cholesterol even worse that you should avoid. You will definitely want to cut down your intake of fats that are bad for you, especially the trans fats and saturated fats. Some people actually find that just cutting fats out of their diet is enough to deal with their cholesterol problem; however, other people have to make more drastic changes to their diet.

So, as you can see there are several great foods that can help to lower your cholesterol and some foods you’ll need to avoid as well. Start eating right and avoiding bad foods and you’ll be able to lower your cholesterol LDL and bring yourself closer to a normal cholesterol reading.