Having high cholesterol level(LDL) increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases including heart attack & hardening of arteries. Making lifestyle changes that include shedding weight & adopting an exercise routine can help you reduce your LDL level & improve overall health. It is important to mention here that besides indulging in physical activity, diet/nutrition plays an important role in improving overall HDL( good cholesterol) level. You can improve your good cholesterol level & reduce bad cholesterol level by consuming more of fruits & vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts & legumes & reducing consumption of processed foods, red meat, sugar.
We are recommending the following healthy foods that can help you improve your cholesterol level:
- Oats: Having a diet rich in whole grains help you reduce your bad cholesterol level by absorbing fats in your bloodstream. Oats contains soluble fibre called beta-glucan that binds with fat & fleshes the same out of your body through stool. One & a half cup of oats contains almost 5 grams of soluble fibre. Daily intake of 5 to 7 grams of soluble fibre helps in reducing LDL level by around 10%.
- Walnuts: Walnuts are rich in monounsaturated fats & omega-3 fatty acids normally found in fish. They are said to reduce bad cholesterol level as well as vascular inflammation associated with high blood pressure.
- Soybeans: Protein soya based products such as tofu paneer, soya milk or soya beans is said to have beneficial impact on reducing bad cholesterol level. Consumption of soya rich food items on a regular basis can help you reduce LDL level by 5%. Besides, soya contains important components such as isoflavones, saponins, and fiber, that can improve your cardiovascular health. Isoflavones, in particular, appear to lower blood pressure, while saponins inhibit the absorption of cholesterol into cells.
- Dry Beans: Dry beans such as kidney beans, black beans & lentils are high in soluble fiber & are a great source of plant based proteins. They are rich in phytonutrients as well. Eating beans can help you reduce LDL since it replaces other forms of protein that are rich in saturated fats such as red meat.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats & has ability to reduce bad cholesterol level as well as overcome issue of arterial inflammation. Olive oil & other unsaturated oil with similar antioxidative properties should be used in place of other oils high in saturated fats & trans fat. For more details, you can check my blog on olive oil.
- Orange juice: Orange juice is an excellent source of Vitamin-C & contains phytosterols which influence cholesterol level in a positive way. Phytosterols are similar in structure to animal cholesterol but are not absorbed in the bloodstream in the same way. They help reduce the concentration of LDL cholesterol in the blood.
- Almonds: Almonds offers similar benefits as does walnut but with twice as much protein. One ounce of almonds offers 20 grams of fats per serving, 85% of which is monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat.
- Avocado: Avocado are rich in monounsaturated fats, phytosterols & polyphenols all of which helps in improving cholesterol levels. By replacing saturated fats (from animal sources such as butter) with avocados, you can reduce LDL by 15%.
- Salmon or Tuna: Fatty ocean fish such as Salmon & Tuna are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids( know more about omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids here). These beneficial fatty acids are said to reduce risk of coronary heart disease. Besides, Omega-3 also inhibits the production of VLDL( low lipoprotein) in the liver. This type of cholesterol carries triglycerides to tissues thereby increasing the chances of obesity, type 2 diabetes & heart disease.
