Some foods are particularly good at helping to lower cholesterol. They deliver a good dose of soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Others provide polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL.
• Oats. An easy way to start lowering cholesterol is to choose oatmeal or a cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you one to two grams of soluble fiber. A banana or strawberries add another half-gram.
• Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. They also take a while for the body to digest which is one reason beans are a useful food for folks trying to lose weight. With so many choices and so many ways to prepare them, beans are a very versatile food.
• Nuts are good for the heart. Eating two ounces a day, which can help lower LDL, also protects the heart in other ways.
• Foods fortified with sterols and stanols gum up the body’s ability to absorb cholesterol from food. Companies are adding them to foods ranging from margarine and granola bars to orange juice and chocolate. Getting two grams of plant sterols or stanols a day can lower LDL cholesterol by about 10%.
• Fatty fish. Eating fish two or three times a week can lower LDL by replacing meat, which has LDL-boosting saturated fats, and by delivering LDL-lowering omega-3 fats.
• But stay away from saturated fats found in red meat, milk and other dairy foods, and coconut and palm oils which directly boost LDL. Try substituting extra-lean ground beef for regular; low-fat or skim milk for whole milk; olive oil or a vegetable-oil margarine for butter; baked fish or chicken for fried.
• Trans fats boost LDL as much as saturated fats do. They also lower protective HDL, rev up inflammation, and increase the tendency for blood clots to form inside blood vessels. Although trans fats were once ubiquitous in prepared foods, many companies now use trans-free alternatives.