Natural Cholesterol Lowering Foods

Why take extra medicines for lowering cholesterol when you can substitute them with natural cholesterol lowering foods? A lot of natural foods contain ingredients that help in lowering cholesterol. You can consume these foods by adding them in your everyday meal, or even just as a snack. We know that the cholesterol range by age fluctuates and that ideal cholesterol levels for men and women are a bit different, and should be considered before consuming these foods. Healthy eating and healthy living are the first steps to not let your cholesterol levels grow, and to maintain ideal cholesterol levels.

Natural cholesterol lowering foods have lot of advantages over medicines, such as no external chemicals, readily available, no extra cost, and variety. Some people develop allergies due to certain medicines, which can be avoided with consuming natural cholesterol lowering foods. Foods that contain soluble fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and soy protein should be consumed daily to lower the cholesterol levels naturally. You should also know about the foods to avoid with high cholesterol and take a low cholesterol foods list from your doctor. Reading on a diet to lower cholesterol naturally can also be of help in keeping your cholesterol levels in check.

List of Foods that Lower Cholesterol Naturally

Natural Cholesterol Lowering Foods: Soluble Fiber
Fiber is mainly of two types, soluble and insoluble fiber. They both have their advantages but soluble fiber helps you lower cholesterol naturally. If you have just one apple everyday, you reduce your chances of heart problems to a great extent. This fiber is usually found in almost all foods. Here are some of those.

• Almonds
• Hazelnuts
• Peanuts
• Pecans
• Pine Nuts
• Pistachio Nuts
• Walnuts
• Carrots
• Ground Flaxseed
• Canola Oil
• Psyllium Husk
• Kidney Beans
• Apples
• Pears
• Barley
• Prunes
• Cooked Oatmeal

Adding fruits like bananas to the oatmeal will increase another 4 grams of fiber to the existing 6 grams contributed by a cup and a half of oatmeal. Soluble fiber decreases Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) content in the body and has other cardiovascular advantages. Apart from this, soluble fiber also helps people who have non-insulin dependent diabetes, constipation, diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disorders.

Natural Cholesterol Lowering Foods: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids help in lowering cholesterol to a great extent. They are mostly found in all types of fish all around the world. If you want to reduce your cholesterol naturally, including foods with these is a must. These are some foods which contain omega-3 fatty acids.

• Halibut
• Salmons
• Sardines
• Albacore Tuna
• Olive Oil
• Herring
• Lake Trout
• Mackerel
• Avocados

These reduce the chances of blood clots, high blood pressure levels and are thus an important part of the cholesterol lowering foods list. They not only reduce the bad cholesterol from the system but also increase the good cholesterol, that is, High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL). Out of 30, 26 grams of fat in an avocado help in maintain smooth functioning of the heart and increase HDL levels. These fatty acids are also said to improve conditions of people affected by osteoporosis, depression and schizophrenia along with certain other illnesses and disorders like bipolar disorder and rheumatoid arthritis.

Natural Cholesterol Lowering Foods: Soy Protein
Recently, soy foods are in much demand. You'll find soy milk in different flavors and many other such soy milk drinks. These taste really good and are healthy too. They are also found commonly in many grocery stores. These are some foods containing soy protein that will help you lower cholesterol naturally.

• Soy Milk
• Tempeh
• Tofu
• Textured Soy Protein
• Soy Flour
• Soy Nuts

For these foods to have effective cholesterol lowering effects, they should be consumed in a minimum quantity of 25 grams daily. These foods can be consumed as drinks too. Soy protein reduces the bad LDL cholesterol without reducing the good cholesterol. Since soy protein has all the important amino acids, it makes a good substitute for meat proteins. Soy protein is also said to reduce the rick of certain cancers.

These were some of the foods that lower cholesterol naturally. Here are some more foods low in cholesterol apart from the ones mentioned above that might help you plan a low cholesterol diet.

• Blueberries
• Legumes
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Dried Beans
• Yogurt
• Lean meat
• Pomegranate Juice
• Strawberries
• Grapes
• Spinach
• Garlic
• Cabbages
• Celery
• Onions
• Whole Grain

Natural cholesterol lowering foods have a lot of benefits that can help you stay fit and healthy. They are readily available and commonly found almost everywhere around the world. Include these in your diet to have a healthy body, a healthy life.