1. Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods
Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density
lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad," cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found
in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes.
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. 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.
2. 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. In people who have already had heart attacks, fish oil — or
omega-3 fatty acids — reduces the risk of sudden death.
The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week. 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 like ground flaxseed or canola oil.
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, just remember to
watch your diet and eat lean meat or vegetables in place of fish.
3. Walnuts, almonds and other nuts
Walnuts, almonds and other nuts can reduce blood cholesterol. Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy.
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. Just make sure
the nuts you eat aren't salted or coated with sugar.
All nuts are high in calories, so a handful 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.
4. Olive oil
Olive oil contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower your
"bad" (LDL) cholesterol but leave your "good" (HDL) cholesterol
untouched.
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.
Olive oil is high in calories, so don't eat more than the recommended
amount.
The cholesterol-lowering effects of olive oil are even greater if you
choose extra-virgin olive oil, meaning the oil is less processed and
contains more heart-healthy antioxidants. But keep in mind that "light" olive oils are usually more processed than extra-virgin or virgin olive oils and are lighter in color, not fat or calories.
5. Foods with added plant sterols or stanols
Foods are now available that have been fortified with sterols or stanols
— substances found in plants that help block the absorption of
cholesterol.
Margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks with added plant sterols can
help reduce LDL cholesterol by more than 10 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.
Plant sterols or stanols in fortified foods don't appear to affect
levels of triglycerides or of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the "good"
cholesterol.
