High blood cholesterol is one of the major risk factors of heart disease, and heart disease is the number one cause of death among Americans. It is therefore extremely important to understand how to lower LDL cholesterol, or bad cholesterol, to help prevent heart disease. Making dietary changes, eliminating certain foods and including a variety of heart healthy foods, can reduce cholesterol levels dramatically.
Why It Is Important to Reduce Cholesterol Levels to Prevent Heart Disease
It is never too late to begin a cholesterol lowering diet plan, even if already on medication. If left on its own, an excess of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream, known as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, will begin settling along artery walls. Eventually, as more and more LDL cholesterol forms a build-up, known as plaque, the arteries begin to harden, and the pathway for blood flow narrows.
This condition, known as atherosclerosis, increases the amount of energy the heart has to use to pump oxygen-rich blood through the body while at the same time limiting the amount and efficiency of blood reaching the heart. In severe cases, an artery becomes completely blocked off, causing chest pains; a heart attack occurs when an entire portion of the heart is not receiving blood.
As dangerous as it may be to not reduce cholesterol levels, many people are unaware of a simple plaque build-up. High blood pressure is one symptom of atherosclerosis, but few signs are felt before heart problems become severe. By learning how to lower LDL cholesterol with diet, anyone can help prevent heart disease and take control of their health.
How to Lower LDL Cholesterol Levels with a Cholesterol Lowering Diet Plan
There are two central rules of a diet to reduce cholesterol levels. First, eat plenty of heart healthy foods. This includes antioxidant rich foods — fresh fruits and vegetables, with dark-pigmented foods being the best sources, white, green, and black tea, cocoa, rooibos, and even coffee. Antioxidants act as free radical scavengers in the body. They neutralize these harmful yet natural and inevitable byproducts, preventing oxidative damage, including the oxidation of cholesterol.
Unsaturated fatty acids which increase HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels in the body are also heart healthy. HDL cholesterol is in fact good for the body; cholesterol is necessary for brain health, cell membrane integrity, and the production of sex hormones, among other functions. These beneficial fatty acids, found primarily from unprocessed vegetable sources, help the body eliminate LDL cholesterol. Unsaturated fats have a slippery, oily nature, which helps to clean the bloodstream of bad cholesterol and other waste products.
Foods rich in fiber are also essential in a diet to reduce cholesterol levels and prevent heart disease. Soluble fiber slows down digestion, and helps to increase beneficial HDL cholesterol levels in relation to LDL cholesterol. Eating whole grains, as well as good sources of pectin, a form of soluble fiber, also helps lower LDL cholesterol.
The second rule of a diet to reduce cholesterol levels is to avoid highly processed foods, and minimize saturated fatty acids. Processed foods such as margarine and packaged cookies and other snacks tend to be made with hydrogenated oils, which are linked to cardiovascular disease. Although some saturated fat is all right (necessary, even), an excess can contribute to cholesterol-plaque build up. Eat less fatty foods, red meat, pork, butter, and cream. These foods can be replaced with more heart healthy protein sources, such as fish, tofu, yogurt, and low-fat milk.
Heart Healthy Foods to Reduce Cholesterol Levels
The following are Antioxidant-Rich Foods:
- blueberries
- cranberries
- citrus
- dates
- bananas
- peaches
- green leafy vegetables
- red cabbage
- broccoli
- tea
- cocoa
The following are Healthy Fat Sources:
- nuts
- avocados
- salmon
- tuna
- olives and olive oil
- flax seed and flax seed oil
The following are Fiber Rich Foods:
- oats
- brown rice
- whole wheat
- barley
- apples
- carrots
- grapes
- strawberries
- sweet potatoes
A healthy diet filled with all of these heart healthy foods, especially when they are raw or only lightly cooked, will certainly help to reduce cholesterol levels. Still, the advice of a health care professional is always necessary.
Sources:
National Cholesterol Education Program
Page, Linda. "Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self-Healing for Everyone." (Ash Tree Publishing, 2003).
Brenna Coleman - Brenna is a freelance writer focusing on natural health and beauty. She has written hundreds of articles, helping readers find ways to ...
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