Cholesterol Lowering Foods

Staying healthy is one of the main concerns of people today, and is an increasing focus of attention both in our personal lives and in the media.  A healthy lifestyle is comprised of many components, one of which is reducing high cholesterol and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.  Maintaining a healthy cholesterol level is essential to living a fit and healthy life.  High cholesterol levels result in a number of diseases, chief among which is heart disease, a leading cause of death among in the United States.

By making a few simple changes in your life, you can lower your cholesterol to a healthy level.  When it comes to lowering your cholesterol level, there are a number of options and methods to choose from. Consuming cholesterol-lowering foods and following a low cholesterol diet are two effective ways of lowering your cholesterol.

There are a number of foods that have been shown to lower cholesterol naturally and they are surprisingly easy to incorporate into a low cholesterol diet.  Cholesterol-lowering foods can be found in various sources like trees, plants, roots, water, and the list goes on. Some of the highly preferred and healthy cholesterol lowering foods that you can include in a cholesterol lowering diet are:

Oats: Oats are one of the most effective foods that play a major role in lowering LDL cholesterol by 5.3% in only a few weeks.  Beta-glucan, which absorbs LDL or bad cholesterol, is a substance found to be naturally occurring in oats.

Salmon and Fatty Fish: Salmon and fatty fish play a major role in lowering cholesterol levels. Omega-3 fats are one of the natural wonders of the health-food world and are found in salmon, sardines and herring.

Red Wine: Red wine, made using red grapes that have high-fiber tempranillo, can have a significant effect on your cholesterol level.  Drinking red wine in moderation has recently been popularly recommended by physicians as part of a heart-healthy diet.

Nuts: Nuts are also very helpful in lowering your cholesterol to a healthy level.  According to healthcare experts, nuts, if consumed as recommended and coupled with a low cholesterol diet, can lower the total cholesterol level by 5.4%, as well as LDL cholesterol by 9.3%.

Beans: Eating beans as a part of your daily diet is considered a great way to promote a healthy heart.  Research has shown that half a cup of bean soup can effectively lower cholesterol, including LDL, by 8%.

Tea: In addition to the aforementioned foods, tea is also considered a great assistant in lowering your cholesterol level. Its cancer-fighting antioxidants provide a great defense against LDL cholesterol.

This list is just a sample of the heart-healthy options out there.  Drugs and other supplements formulated using natural products also play a major role in lowering cholesterol to a healthy level.