Foods that can lower your cholesterol and protect your heart

Top foods to lower your cholesterol and protect your heart

From a dietary standpoint, the best way to lower your cholesterol is to reduce your intake of saturated fat and trans fat. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to less than 6% of daily calories and avoiding trans fats. Reducing these fats means limiting your intake of red meat and dairy products made with whole milk. Choose skim milk, low-fat or fat-free dairy products instead. It also means limiting fried food and cooking with healthy oils, such as vegetable oil.

A heart-healthy diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish, nuts and nontropical vegetable oils, while limiting red and processed meats, sodium and sugar-sweetened foods and beverages.

Many diets fit this general description. For example, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute as well as diets suggested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association are heart-healthy approaches. Such diets can be adapted based on your cultural and food preferences.

Changing what foods you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the amount and type of fats floating through your bloodstream. Different foods lower cholesterol in various ways. Some deliver soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Some give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower the low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad” cholesterol. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the body from absorbing cholesterol.

A major 2012 analysis of several controlled trials involving hundreds of men and women found that dietary changes reduced LDL and total cholesterol and adding aerobic exercise did enhance the lipid-lowering effects of a heart-healthy diet.

A largely vegetarian “dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods” substantially lowered LDL, triglycerides, and blood pressure. The key dietary components are plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains instead of highly refined ones, and protein mostly from plants. Add margarine enriched with plant sterols; oats, barley, psyllium, okra, and eggplant, all rich in soluble fiber; soy protein; and whole almonds.

The American Heart Association recommends a dietary pattern that emphasizes poultry and limits red meat. The amount of saturated fat in meats can vary widely, depending on the cut and how it’s prepared.

Here are some ways to reduce the saturated fat in meat:

Select lean cuts of meat with minimal visible fat. Lean beef cuts include the round, chuck, sirloin or loin. Lean pork cuts include the tenderloin or loin chop. Lean lamb cuts come from the leg, arm and loin.
Buy “choice” or “select” grades rather than “prime.” Select lean or extra lean ground beef.
Trim all visible fat from meat before cooking.
Broil rather than pan-fry meats such as hamburger, lamb chops, pork chops and steak.
Use a rack to drain off fat when broiling, roasting or baking. Instead of basting with drippings, keep meat moist with wine, fruit juices or an acceptable oil-based marinade.
Cook a day ahead of time. Stews, boiled meat, soup stock or other dishes in which fat cooks into the liquid can be refrigerated. Then, remove the hardened fat from the top.
When a recipe calls for browning the meat first, try browning it under the broiler instead of in a pan.
Eat chicken and turkey rather than duck and goose, which are higher in fat. Choose white meat most often when eating poultry.
Remove the skin from chicken or turkey before cooking. If your poultry dries out too much, first try basting with wine, fruit juices or an acceptable oil-based marinade. Or leave the skin on for cooking and remove it before eating.
Limit processed meats such as sausage, bologna, salami and hot dogs. Many processed meats — even those with “reduced fat” labels — are high in calories and saturated fat. Often they’re high in sodium, too. Read labels carefully and choose processed meats only occasionally.

Eat more fish

Fish can be fatty or lean, but it’s still low in saturated fat. Choose oily fish such as salmon, trout and herring, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Prepare fish baked, broiled, grilled or boiled rather than breaded and fried, and without added salt, saturated fat and trans fat. Shrimp and crawfish have more cholesterol than most other types of seafood, but they’re lower in total fat and saturated fat than most meats and poultry.

Eat Less meat

Try meatless meals featuring vegetables or beans. For example, think eggplant lasagna, a big grilled portobello mushroom on a bun instead of a burger, or beans-n-weenies without the weenies and salt. Or think of meat as a condiment in casseroles, stews, low-sodium soups and spaghetti — use it sparingly and just for flavor rather than as a main ingredient.

Cook fresh vegetables the heart-healthy way

Try cooking vegetables in a tiny bit of vegetable oil and add a little water during cooking if needed, or use a vegetable oil spray. Just 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil is enough for a package of plain frozen vegetables without sauce or seasonings that serves four. Place in a skillet with tight cover, season and cook over a very low heat until the vegetables are done.

Add herbs and spices to make vegetables even tastier. For example, these combinations add new and subtle flavors:

Rosemary with peas, cauliflower and squash
Oregano with zucchini
Dill with green beans
Marjoram with Brussels sprouts, carrots and spinach
Basil with tomatoes

Start with a small quantity (1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon to a package of frozen vegetables), then let your own and your family’s taste be your guide. Chopped parsley and chives, sprinkled on just before serving, also enhance the flavor of many vegetables.

Use liquid vegetable oils in place of solid fats

Liquid vegetable oils such as canola, safflower, sunflower, soybean and olive can often be used instead of solid fats such as butter, lard or shortening. If you must use margarine, try the soft or liquid kind. Use a little liquid oil to:

Pan-fry fish and poultry.
Saute vegetables.
Make cream sauces and soups using low-fat or fat-free milk.
Add to whipped or scalloped potatoes using low-fat or fat-free milk.
Brown rice for Spanish, curried or stir-fried rice.
Cook dehydrated potatoes and other prepared foods that call for fat to be added.
Make pancakes or waffles.

Puree fruits and veggies for baking

You can replace the oil in muffin, cookie, cake and snack bar recipes with pureed fruits or veggies to give your treats an extra healthy boost. For many recipes, use the specified amount of puree instead of oil. Check the mix’s package or your cookbook’s substitutions page for other conversions. You can:

Use applesauce in spice muffins or oatmeal cookies.
Include bananas in breads and muffins.
Try zucchini in brownies.

Lower dairy fats

Low-fat (1%) or fat-free (skim) milk can be used in many recipes in place of whole milk or half-and-half. Some dishes like puddings may result in a softer set. You can also use low-fat, low-sodium cottage cheese, part-skim milk mozzarella or ricotta and other low-fat, low-sodium cheeses with little or no change in consistency.

Sauces and gravies

Let your cooking liquid cool, then remove the hardened fat before making gravy. Or use a fat separator to pour off the good liquid from cooking stock, leaving the fat behind.

Increase fiber and whole grains (Dietary Fiber at least 14-28 grams per day)

Foods high in fiber can help reduce your risk of heart disease. It’s also good for your digestive tract and for overall health. Further, eating foods rich in fiber can help you feel full on fewer calories, which makes it a good food choice if you need to lose weight.

Toast and crush or cube fiber-rich whole-grain bread to make breadcrumbs, stuffing or croutons.
Replace the breadcrumbs in your meatloaf with uncooked oatmeal.
Serve whole fruit at breakfast in place of juice.
Use brown rice instead of white rice and try whole grain pasta.
Add lots of colorful veggies to your salad — carrots, broccoli and cauliflower are high in fiber and give your salad a delicious crunch

Doing this requires a two-pronged strategy:

Add foods that lower the low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad” cholesterol, the harmful cholesterol-carrying particle that contributes to artery-clogging atherosclerosis.
At the same time, cut back on foods that boost LDL.

Adding several foods to lower cholesterol in different ways should work better than focusing on one or two. Remember to count your calories

Just as important, a diet that is heavy on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts is good for the body in ways beyond lowering cholesterol. It keeps blood pressure in check. It helps arteries stay flexible and responsive. It’s good for bones and digestive health, for vision and mental health.

Oatmeal, oat bran, barley and other whole grains and high-fiber foods

Oatmeal and oat bran, barley and other whole grains can help lower the risk of heart disease, mainly via the soluble fiber they deliver. Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes. One serving of a breakfast cereal with oatmeal or oat bran provides 3 to 4 grams of fiber.

Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your total and LDL cholesterol. Eating 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 6 grams of fiber. At least three 1-ounce servings a day. If you add fruit, such as bananas, you’ll add about 4 more grams of fiber. To mix it up a little, try steel-cut oatmeal or cold cereal made with oatmeal or oat bran.

Fish and omega-3 fatty acids

Eating fatty fish can be heart healthy because of its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce your blood pressure and risk of developing blood clots. Fatty fish has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce your triglycerides — a type of fat found in blood — as well as reduce your blood pressure and risk of developing blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of sudden death.

Omega-3 fatty acids don’t affect LDL cholesterol levels. But because of those acids’ other heart benefits, the American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week (at least two 3.5-ounce servings a week). Baking or grilling the fish avoids adding unhealthy fats.

The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in:

Mackerel
Lake trout
Herring
Sardines
Albacore tuna
Salmon
Halibut

You should bake or grill the fish to avoid adding unhealthy fats. If you don’t like fish, you can also get small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from foods such as ground flaxseed or canola oil.

Foods such as walnuts, flaxseed and canola oil also have small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 and fish oil supplements are available. You can take an omega-3 or fish oil supplement to get some of the benefits, but you won’t get other nutrients in fish, such as selenium. If you decide to take a supplement, talk to your doctor about how much you should take.

Almonds and other nuts

Almonds, peanuts and other tree nuts can improve blood cholesterol. Walnuts are especially high in omega-3 fatty acids, the same heart-healthy fat found in oily fish, but are a lot easier to stash in your pocket or purse. A recent study concluded that a diet supplemented with walnuts can lower the risk of heart complications in people with history of a heart attack. Eating about a handful (1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams) a day of most nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, may reduce your risk of heart disease. Make sure the nuts you eat aren’t salted or coated with sugar.

Eating 2 ounces of nuts a day can slightly lower LDL, on the order of 5%. Nuts have additional nutrients that protect the heart in other ways.

All nuts are high in calories, so a handful added to a salad or eaten as a snack will do. To avoid eating too many nuts and gaining weight, replace foods high in saturated fat with nuts. For example, instead of using cheese, meat or croutons in your salad, add a handful of walnuts or almonds.

All nuts will go bad (rancid) in time so keep them in the fridge. The same goes for nut oils and nut butters in jars after you’ve opened them. Rancid nuts have an unpleasant smell and bitter taste.

Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits

Pears and apples have a lot of pectin, which is a type of fiber that can lower cholesterol. So do citrus fruits like oranges and lemons. Berries are also high in fiber.

Eggplant and okra

These two low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber.

Avocados

Avocados are a potent source of nutrients as well as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Research suggests that adding an avocado a day to a heart-healthy diet can help improve LDL cholesterol levels in people who are overweight or obese.

People tend to be most familiar with avocados in guacamole, which usually is eaten with high-fat corn chips. Try adding avocado slices to salads and sandwiches or eating them as a side dish. Also try guacamole with raw cut vegetables, such as cucumber slices.

Replacing saturated fats, such as those found in meats, with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) are part of what makes the Mediterranean diet heart healthy.

Olive oil

Another good source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) is olive oil. Try using about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil a day in place of other fats in your diet to get its heart-healthy benefits. To add olive oil to your diet, you can saute vegetables in it, add it to a marinade or mix it with vinegar as a salad dressing. You can also use olive oil as a substitute for butter when basting meat or as a dip for bread.

Vegetable oils

Using liquid vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower, safflower, and others in place of butter, lard, or shortening when cooking or at the table helps lower LDL cholesterol.

Foods with added plant sterols or stanols

There is evidence that foods that contain certain added ingredients, such as plant sterols and stanols, can reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood. Sterols and stanols are substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol. Plant sterols and stanols are found in nuts, seeds and legumes, vegetable oils, breads and cereals, and fruits and vegetables. You need to eat 2 to 3 grams a day of plant sterols and stanols to assist in reducing high cholesterol. Eating more is not harmful, but you won’t get any additional benefits.

Foods that have been fortified with sterols or stanols are available.

Margarines, low-fat milks, low-fat yogurts and breakfast cereals, lower fat cheese, processed cheese and orange juice with added plant sterols can help reduce LDL cholesterol. Adding 2 grams of sterol to your diet every day can lower your LDL cholesterol by 5 to 15 percent. The amount of daily plant sterols needed for results is at least 2 grams — which equals about two 8-ounce (237-milliliter) servings of plant sterol-fortified orange juice a day. People who do not have high cholesterol should not eat these products regularly, particularly children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

If you do eat foods that are designed to lower cholesterol, read the label carefully to avoid eating too much.

You should not eat foods fortified with plant sterols as a substitute for medication. You can use plant sterol-enriched foods while taking cholesterol medication, but check with your doctor first.

However, it’s not clear whether food with plant sterols or stanols reduces your risk of heart attack or stroke — although experts assume that foods that reduce cholesterol do reduce the risk. Plant sterols or stanols don’t appear to affect levels of triglycerides or of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol.

Whey protein

Whey protein, which is one of two proteins in dairy products — the other is casein — may account for many of the health benefits attributed to dairy. Studies have shown that whey protein given as a supplement lowers both LDL and total cholesterol as well as blood pressure. You can find whey protein powders in health food stores and some grocery stores. Follow the package directions for how to use them.

Soy

Eating soybeans and foods made from them, like tofu and soy milk, was once touted as a powerful way to lower cholesterol. Analyses show that the effect is more modest — consuming 25 grams of soy protein a day (10 ounces of tofu or 2 1/2 cups of soy milk) can lower LDL by 5% to 6%.

Beans

Black beans, kidney beans, lentils. All are rich in soluble fiber, which binds to cholesterol in the blood and moves it out of the body. Recent studies show eating 4.5 ounces of beans a day can reduce LDL levels by 5 percent. Try black bean burritos, or dip some veggies in hummus, which is made with chickpeas, for an afternoon snack.

Fiber supplements

Supplements offer the least appealing way to get soluble fiber. Two teaspoons a day of psyllium, which is found in Metamucil and other bulk-forming laxatives, provide about 4 grams of soluble fiber.

Limiting saturated fats and trans fats

Getting the full benefit of these foods requires other changes to your diet and lifestyle. One of the most beneficial changes is limiting the saturated and trans fats you eat.

Saturated fats — such as those in meat, butter, cheese and other full-fat dairy products — raise your total cholesterol. Decreasing your consumption of saturated fats to less than 7 percent of your total daily calorie intake can reduce your LDL cholesterol by 8 to 10 percent.
Trans fats, sometimes listed on food labels as “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil,” are often used in margarines and store-bought cookies, crackers and cakes. Trans fats raise overall cholesterol levels. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils by 1 January 2021.

Foods To Avoid or Consume in Moderation

Animal products high in saturated fat (beef, lamb, veal, pork, duck, goose, cream, cheese, butter, egg yolk)
Fried foods
High-fat processed meats, such as hot dogs and sausages
Simple sugars (found in soft drinks, candy, cakes, cookies and other baked goods)
Saturated oils, such as coconut and palm oil
Shortening, partially hydrogenated margarine and lard

Although some fats are healthy, you need to limit the saturated and trans fats you eat. Saturated fats, like those in meat, butter, cheese and other full-fat dairy products, and some oils, raise your total cholesterol. Trans fats, often used in margarines and store-bought cookies, crackers and cakes, are particularly bad for your cholesterol levels. Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol, and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” cholesterol.

Food labels report the content of trans fats, but, unfortunately, only in foods that contain at least one gram per serving. That means you could be getting some trans fats in a number of foods, which could add up to enough trans fats in a day to be unhealthy and increase cholesterol. If a food label lists “partially hydrogenated oil,” it has trans fat, and it’s best to avoid it.

In addition to changing your diet, making other heart-healthy lifestyle changes is key to improving your cholesterol. Exercising, quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy weight will help keep your cholesterol at a healthy level.

Foods to avoid with high cholesterol

You can lower cholesterol over time by eating fewer of the foods that cause high cholesterol and more of the foods that lower cholesterol.

Saturated fats are found in all animal foods and some plant sources. You can reduce the amount of saturated fat in your food and have a healthy diet.

The following foods may be high in saturated fats. Many of them are also low in nutrients and have extra calories from sugar:

Baked goods (cake, doughnuts, Danish)
Fried foods (fried chicken, fried seafood, French fries)
Fatty cuts of meat or processed meats (bacon, sausage, chicken with skin, cheeseburger, steak)
Whole-fat dairy products (butter, ice cream, pudding, cheese, whole milk)
Solid fats such as coconut oil, palm, and palm kernel oils (found in packaged foods)

Here are some examples of popular food items with the saturated fat content in a typical serving:

12 ounces (oz) or 340 g, steak — 20 g
Cheeseburger — 10 g
Vanilla shake — 8 g
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter — 7 g

It is fine to treat yourself to these types of foods once in a while. But, it is best to limit how often you eat them and limit portion sizes when you do.

You can cut how much saturated fat you eat by substituting healthier foods for less healthy options. Replace foods high in saturated fats with foods that have polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Here is how to get started:

Replace red meats with skinless chicken or fish a few days a week.
Use canola or olive oil instead of butter and other solid fats.
Replace whole-fat dairy with low-fat or nonfat milk, yogurt, and cheese.
Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other foods with low or no saturated fat.

Trans fats are made when food makers turn liquid oils into solid fats, like shortening or margarine. Trans fats can be found in many fried, “fast” packaged, or processed foods, including:

Anything fried and battered
Shortening and stick margarine
Cakes, cake mixes, pies, pie crust, and doughnuts

Animal foods, such as red meats and dairy, have small amounts of trans fats. But most trans fats come from processed foods.

Trans fats are found in many processed and packaged foods. Note that these foods are often low in nutrients and have extra calories from sugar:

Cookies, pies, cakes, biscuits, sweet rolls, and donuts
Breads and crackers
Frozen foods, such as frozen dinners, pizza, ice cream, frozen yogurt, milk shakes, and pudding
Snack foods
Fast food
Solid fats, such as shortening and margarine
Nondairy creamer

Not all packaged foods have trans fats. It depends on the ingredients that were used. That is why it is important to read labels.

While it is fine to treat yourself to sweets and other high-fat foods once in a while, it is best to avoid food with trans fats completely.

You can cut how much trans fat you eat by substituting healthier foods for less healthy options. Replace foods high in trans and saturated fats with foods that have polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Here is how to get started:

Use safflower or olive oil instead of butter, shortening, and other solid fats.
Switch from solid margarine to soft margarine.
Ask what type of fats foods are cooked in when you eat out at restaurants.
Avoid fried, packaged, and processed foods.
Replace meats with skinless chicken or fish a few days a week.
Replace whole-fat diary with low-fat or nonfat milk, yogurt, and cheese.

Weight and exercise

Being overweight and not exercising affect fats circulating in the bloodstream. Excess weight boosts harmful LDL, while inactivity depresses protective HDL. Losing weight if needed and exercising more reverse these trends.

Remember, many other things affect your chances of getting heart disease. Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and lack of exercise also raise the risk.

The lifestyle changes you need to make on top of your healthy diet to lower your cholesterol are:

Regular exercise
Avoiding tobacco smoke
Losing weight (if you’re overweight or obese)

Regular exercise

Becoming more physically active. A sedentary lifestyle lowers HDL cholesterol. Less HDL cholesterol means there’s less good cholesterol to remove LDL (bad) cholesterol from arteries.

Physical activity is important. Just 40 minutes of aerobic exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity done three to four times a week is enough to lower both cholesterol and high blood pressure. Brisk walking, swimming, bicycling or a dance class are examples.

Aerobic exercise – when you’re moving your body in a way that makes you warm and slightly out of breath like when walking, cycling, doing housework or gardening. Over time, this type of exercise helps your heart and circulatory system to work better by helping to lower your blood pressure and resting heart rate, improving cholesterol levels and helping you maintain a healthy weight
Balance and flexibility exercise – exercise like yoga, tai chi and Pilates where we hold our bodies in less stable positions. These exercises make sure our muscles don’t get too tight and keep us flexible, helping avoid pain or injury and reduce the risk of having falls
Resistance exercise – resistance training like lifting weights or using resistance bands and cables to strengthen your muscles. The stronger your muscles are, the harder they can work which takes the strain off your heart making it easier to do everyday tasks. Check in with your doctor before you start any resistance training as it may not be suitable for some people with heart conditions.

Quitting smoking

If you smoke, quit. Smoking can raise your risk of heart disease and heart attack and worsen other heart disease risk factors. Talk with your doctor about programs and products that can help you quit smoking. Also, try to avoid secondhand smoke.

Losing weight

Being overweight or obese tends to raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol.

Losing excess weight can improve cholesterol levels. A weight loss of 10 percent can go a long way toward lowering your risk of high cholesterol — or reversing it.