Best Foods to Lower Cholesterol: A Heart-Healthy Guide

Eating well plays an important role in lowering your cholesterol level. A healthy diet can lower your cholesterol level by as much as 20 percent and reduce your risk for coronary disease.

Benefits

• According to HeartPoint.com, for every 1 percent you lower your cholesterol, you reduce your risk for heart disease by 2 percent.

Foods to Eat

• Fruits and vegetables are a great source to lower cholesterol. Add fruits such as grapes, strawberries, blackberries and currants to your diet. Vegetables such as onions, spinach, carrots, avocados, broccoli and artichokes can help reduce cholesterol. Other foods that can lower cholesterol are whole wheat bread, whole grain cereals, pecans and walnuts. Fish including salmon, tuna and trout are also excellent sources to reduce cholesterol.

Types

• There are two types of cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association. Good cholesterol is known as high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Bad cholesterol is called low-density lipoprotein. These two types of cholesterol, along with triglycerides, compose your cholesterol level.

Warning

• Anything above 200 mg per deciliter of blood is considered an unhealthy level of cholesterol.

Foods to Avoid

• Avoid high cholesterol foods including boiled eggs, cream cheese, butter and cheddar cheese. Also stay away from many processed and prepared foods such as muffins, cookies, pastries and ice cream if you want to reduce your cholesterol.