These are top foods that help reduce the volume of cholesterol. Build these into your diet:
Salmon
Salmon and other cold-water fish are popular because of the Omega-3 fatty acids benefits, which is enormously helpful in lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and decreasing the risk of developing heart stroke. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least 2 servings of fatty fish each week, this will improve the level of HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
Pistachios
These little nuts are known for reducing bad cholesterol as well as increase good cholesterol. They also supply much-needed antioxidants which you’d get from vegetables such as vitamin A and E.
Garlic
Garlic protects against hardening of the arteries by keeping cholesterol from sticking to artery walls. It’s suggested to eat 2-4 fresh garlic cloves per day.
Beans
Soluble fiber, such as that found in beans, binds with cholesterol in the intestines and keeps it from being absorbed back into the body. You have many choices to add these super foods in your diet: kidney beans, black beans, navy beans and pinto beans.
Avocado
Avocados are high in monounsaturated fat, as a cholesterol fighting food, it can improve the levels of total cholesterol in the body, by raising HDL and lowering LDL. You need about 30 grams of monounsaturated fat daily, about half an avocado.
Chocolate
Like tea, chocolate is full of flavonoids. But choose your chocolate carefully. Dark and bittersweet chocolates have the highest flavonoid content, followed by milk chocolate. White chocolate, however, has none.
An ounce a day—or a single baking-chocolate square—increases “good” cholesterol and inhibits oxidization of plaque-forming “bad” cholesterol.
Spinach
Spinach, like garlic, helps keep plaque from sticking to artery walls thanks to a substance called lutein. Besides, one cup of spinach can provide 1110 percent of the required daily value of vitamin K and 377 percent of vitamin A, it’s recommended to eat half a cup of fresh spinach per day.
Soy
Soy contains isoflavones, chemical compounds which help reduce LDL cholesterol levels. In addition, substituting soy products for meat and cheese reduces the amount of saturated fat you eat. To lower high cholesterol, the FDA recommends at least 25 grams of soy per day.
Nuts
Nuts contain monounsaturated fats, which, in moderation, are good for your heart. Just a handful of nuts not only helps to lower your cholesterol, they are also high in vitamin E.
Tea
Tea is high in flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that prevent the oxidization of LDL cholesterol. This makes plaque formation on artery walls less likely. Drink at least one cup of green or black tea per day then you can get more antioxidants than any fruit or vegetable.
Sources:
whfoods.org
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