• Nutrition

A Heart Healthy Diet: The 8 Best Foods for Lowering Cholesterol

Medically reviewed and edited by Madalaine Hayes, MSN, FNP

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with high blood cholesterol, your doctor may have recommended adjusting your diet. But what should you be eating to lower your cholesterol levels?

The food you eat — and the food you avoid — significantly impacts your cholesterol. 

This makes it important to carefully consider your diet if you want to lower your cholesterol and reduce the risks associated with this condition.

In this article, we’ll guide you through some of the best foods for lowering cholesterol levels and also share which foods you should avoid to reach this goal.

How Food Impacts High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the blood, which the body needs to build healthy cells. 

However, high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — also referred to as bad cholesterol — can cause heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. This is because a buildup of LDL cholesterol can create too much plaque in the arteries.

Certain foods, like those containing saturated fats, increase the levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood, causing more plaque build-up. 

Some foods can also lower what is called high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is the good cholesterol that your body needs to help remove LDL cholesterol from the arteries.

Paying attention to your diet is important if you need to lower LDL cholesterol in your blood. 

8 Foods to Include in Your Low-Cholesterol Diet

Now that you know why you should adjust your diet if you have high cholesterol levels, let’s look at some of the best foods to eat:

Oatmeal

Oatmeal contains a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan. When it dissolves in water, it forms a gel-like substance in the gut. This gel binds to cholesterol-rich bile acids in the intestines and helps remove them from the body in stool. 

The liver then has to use more cholesterol to produce new bile acids, which reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood.

Oatmeal is also rich in nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants. These promote heart health and may also regulate blood pressure.

Maintaining a healthy weight is an important part of managing your cholesterol levels as it reduces your risk of developing heart disease. The fiber content in oatmeal helps you feel fuller for longer, aiding in weight management.

Whole grains

Whole grains are also rich in soluble fiber, which works the same way as oatmeal. It removes cholesterol from the body and reduces its levels in the blood.

These foods also lower cholesterol levels by reducing its reabsorption in the intestines.

Examples of whole grains to include in your diet are barley, brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat.

Beans

Consuming enough protein in your diet is important for your overall health. However, animal proteins such as red meat are often high in saturated fats, which are known to increase LDL cholesterol levels.

Beans, on the other hand, provide a significant amount of plant-based protein – making them a healthy alternative to proteins high in saturated fats.

Stable blood sugar levels prevent insulin spikes in the body, which can contribute to better cholesterol management. Beans have a low glycemic index, causing a slower and more gradual rise in blood sugar levels, preventing spikes.

Black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, and navy beans are all excellent choices to include in your diet. If you’re unsure how to consume more beans, consider adding them to soups, stews, and salads.

Eggplant

This vegetable is a good source of soluble fiber. As mentioned above, soluble fiber is an important nutrient that helps the body excrete cholesterol.

It’s also naturally low in saturated fat, which is beneficial for maintaining lower cholesterol levels. Eggplant is low in calories too, making it a good choice for weight management.

Rich in chlorogenic acid, eggplant may also help lower LDL cholesterol levels and it possesses anti-inflammatory properties, both of which are beneficial for heart health.

You can eat grilled or roasted eggplant or include it in stir-fries, soups, and stews.

Nuts

Nuts are rich in monounsaturated fats, which help to lower LDL cholesterol and potentially increase HDL cholesterol. 

They also contain polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are great for heart health and reducing bad cholesterol levels.

The protein in nuts can help you feel full and satisfied after eating, which may reduce the need for unhealthy snacks, aiding in weight control. 

Finally, nuts are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, which reduce inflammation. This is beneficial for heart health and may help to lower cholesterol.

Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, cashews, and hazelnuts are some good nuts to include in your diet. 

Vegetable oils

Like nuts, vegetable oils are high in monounsaturated fats, which help lower bad cholesterol and maintain HDL cholesterol levels.

They’re also rich in polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which can reduce cholesterol levels and promote heart health.

As we will discuss later, diets high in saturated fats are linked to higher LDL cholesterol levels. Most vegetable oils are low in saturated fats compared to animal fats such as butter and lard.

Vegetable oils also contain phytosterols, which are plant-based compounds with a similar chemical structure to cholesterol. They help block cholesterol absorption in the intestines, leading to lower cholesterol levels in the body.

Olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, and flaxseed oils are examples of heart-healthy vegetable oils. They can be used for sautéing, frying, and baking, and they work well in salad dresses, marinades, and sauces, too.

Foods containing plant sterols and stanols

Sterols are compounds found in the cell membranes of plants. When plant sterols undergo a process called hydrogenation, they become plant stanols.

Plant sterols and stanols are similar to cholesterol. When you consume them, they compete with the cholesterol already in the body for absorption in the digestive system. 

This competition reduces the amount of bad cholesterol that gets absorbed into the bloodstream. The cholesterol that is not absorbed is then excreted from the body.

Plant stanol and sterol-enriched foods include fortified products such as margarine, orange juice, yogurt, and granola bars.

Fatty fish

Fatty fish are rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, specifically EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Omega-3 fatty acids help lower bad cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol levels in the blood.

Omega-3s also help maintain healthy blood vessels in the heart due to their anti-inflammatory properties, which reduce plaque formation in the arteries.

Fatty fish are a good source of healthy unsaturated fats, and they may reduce triglycerides in the body. Triglyceride is a type of fat in the body, and higher levels of it are associated with high levels of LDL cholesterol and heart disease.

Fatty fish options to try include salmon, trout, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies.

3 Foods to Avoid if You Want to Lower Your Cholesterol

Here are some types of food to avoid to prevent an increase in blood cholesterol:

Deep fried foods

Deep frying often involves using partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are high in trans fats. Even when using non-hydrogenated oils, the temperature required to deep fry food can lead to the formation of trans fat.

Trans fats are particularly harmful because they significantly increase bad cholesterol levels and interfere with good cholesterol levels. The consumption of trans fats also increases the risk of heart disease.

Processed foods

Many processed foods contain trans fats, which are artificially created through hydrogenation. Processed foods often raise LDL cholesterol levels and contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries.

Processed foods are also often high in sodium, which can result in increased blood pressure. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease and can worsen the negative effects of unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Alcohol

Aside from the fact that it doesn’t have any health benefits, alcohol can also raise triglyceride levels in the blood. As mentioned earlier, high triglyceride levels are associated with high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol. 

The liver plays an important role in regulating cholesterol levels by producing and clearing it from the body. Chronic alcohol consumption can damage the liver, impairing its ability to regulate cholesterol and triglycerides effectively.

Where Can I Learn More About Healthy Eating?

At LifeMD, we want you to live a healthy life by addressing health issues like high LDL cholesterol.  

A team of licensed medical professionals can provide you with nutritional advice to help lower cholesterol levels and protect your heart health – all from the comfort of your own home. 

The first step to a healthier heart is making an appointment online with LifeMD.

Madalaine Hayes, MSN, FNP

Madalaine earned her Master’s of Science degree with a specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner from Florida Atlantic University. She’s dedicated to ensuring her patients feel supported and valued throughout their entire healthcare journey. A passionate traveler, Madalaine loves exploring the world with her family and creating lasting memories across the globe. She’s also an avid reader, and she’s curated an extensive home library that encompasses a diverse range of literary genres. Whether she’s embarking on new adventures with loved ones or engrossed in the pages of a captivating novel, Madalaine finds immense joy in the rich experiences that life and literature bring.

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