Cholesterol Lowering Foods

Cholesterol Lowering Foods

Cholesterol lowering foods? Chances are if you’re visiting this website you’re looking for an alternative way to lower your cholesterol. Although your doctor may recommend “prescription drugs” to lower your cholesterol, there are also natural ways to lower it. One of those ways is by eating a select list of foods that the FDA has researched and has given them the status of a “health claim” for managing your cholesterol. Below you will find just that, A complete list of foods that will help you lower your cholesterol.

Oats: At the top of our list is oats. Since oatmeal contains soluble fiber it reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), in other words the “bad” cholesterol. By consuming 5 – 10 grams of soluble fiber a day you’re able to reduce your LDL cholesterol by 5 percent. Consuming 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal will provide you with 4 1/2 grams of fiber which is enough to start lowering your cholesterol.

Garlic: Garlic a natural anti-biotic which contains allicin, a chemical that is used to kill bacteria and fungi, and also alleviate certain digestive disorders. It also lowers the blood clotting properties of blood. However the most notable attention garlic has received over recent years is its possible usefulness in lowering cholesterol levels.

Apples: Apple pectin, a soluble fiber that helps draw cholesterol out of the system. The flavonoids (Quercetin) in apples act as a powerful anti-oxidant that seems to short-circuit the process that leads “bad” LDL cholesterol to accumulate in the bloodstream.

Grapes: Flavonoids in grapes protect LDL cholesterol from free radical damage and reduce platelet clumping. The LDL lowering effect of grapes comes from a compound that grapes produce normally to resist mold. The darker the grape, the better.

Beans: Beans and vegetables are an excellent source of soluble fiber and high in vegetable protein. By properly combing beans with brown rice, seeds, corn, wheat you can create a complete protein. Properly combined beans become an excellent substitute for red meat protein that is high in saturated fat.

Salmon: The major health components in salmon include: Omega 3 fatty-acid and protein. These components have a favorable cardiovascular effect. The American Heart Association recommends that people include at least two servings of fish/week, particularly fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, anchovies and herring), in their diets.

Brown Rice: The oil in whole brown rice, not its fiber, lowers cholesterol. Brown rice can be combined with beans to form an inexpensive complete protein low in saturated fat. In addition, this whole grain also supplies good doses of heart-healthy fiber, magnesium and B vitamins.

Cinnamon: A study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It also reduces triglyceride, LDL, the bad cholesterol and the total cholesterol level.

Soy: The top health promoting components in soybeans are isoflavones and soluble fiber. Isoflavones act like human hormone that can lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. All soy products (soybeans, soy nuts, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, etc.) are complete proteins.

Walnuts: Walnuts can significantly reduce blood cholesterol because they are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. Almonds appear to have a similar effect, resulting in a marked improvement within just four weeks. A cholesterol-lowering diet with a little less than 1/3 of a cup of walnuts/day may reduce LDL cholesterol by 12 percent.