Top 10 Foods to Lower Cholesterol

The first step for creating a Heart Healthy diet is to reduce your intake of bad (LDL) fats. Trans fats and saturated fats should be the first thing you cut out.  Bad fats include, but not limited to red meat, whole milk, butter, cheese, coconut oil.  If after cutting out bad fats, your total Cholesterol is still not improved then it time to increase your good (HDL) fat and that will assist in lower you total Cholesterol as well.  I have included a list of what I think are the top 10 food that will help you in lower your cholesterol.

1. Walnuts and Almonds
Walnuts and Almonds are high in polyunsaturated fats.  These kinds of fats significantly reduce the bad cholesterol in your blood. These kinds of nuts also help keep blood vessels elastic.  This elasticity helps actually reduce your blood pressure as well, so you get double benefit.  Eating these kinds of nuts should show results in as short as 4 weeks.  Eat about 1/4 to 1/3 cup a day and that should do it.

2. Apples
I probably should be Apples as #1 but since the nuts work so well and so fast I thought I would rank that #1.  The benefits of apples is the pectin found in Apples.  Pectin is a soluble fiber that helps reduce cholesterol by flushing it out of the system. The pectin is able to suck out the bad Cholesterol before it reaches the blood stream.  Apples also have a powerful anti-oxidant called Quercetin (also know as flavonoids).  The Quercetin stops the process that leads the LDL(bad) cholesterol before it has a chance to settle in your blood stream.

3. Garlic
I love Garlic, this stuff is so powerful for many things. Garlic helps kill fungi and bacteria in body. Its a great Anti-Oxidant. In some studies it has shown to lower LDL and in others it has not. My opinion on garlic is that it has so many benefits on total that taking it for lowering your cholesterol is a great thing.  It also help to lower your bloods clotting ability, so that will assist if you ever do have a heart attack.

4. Beans
Beans are an excellent source of soluble fiber and high in protein. By ading beans to a properly balanced Diet you will reap the rewards by lowering your overall Cholesterol.  Combining Beans, fruit and vegetables will increase your overall body fiber.  Fiber is an excellent way to remove cholesterol from your body.

5. Cinnamon
Cinnamon, there are published studies in the journal for Diabetes Care and they found that half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar. It reduces LDL (bad cholesterol) and your total cholesterol level.  In my opinion this is wonder food of 2010.  Like nuts, it has more then one benefit.

6. Grapes
Grapes, have lots of flavonoids like apples.  Grapes prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. The darker grapes, have more of the anti oxidation chemical it has.

7. Oats
Oats, contains soluble fiber, which reduces your LDL(bad) cholesterol. On average 5 – 10 grams of soluble fiber/day decreases LDL cholesterol by about 5%.

8. Salmon
Salmon, we have been hearing about salmon for a long time.  Salmon in general is a much better meat then read meat since the fat in Salmon is Omega 3 fatty-acid. The Omega 3 components have a favorable cardiovascular effect. This is one food where I believe the more the better.  Salmon has a great flavor and in the non smelly fish, once again Omega’s have been proven in studies to remove LDL cholesterol in the blood.

9. Soy Products
Soy product are great as a meat substitute.  Since it is high in Fiber and low in any fats it makes a great combination to remove LDL.  Soy is also full of protein, hence why it is a great meat substitute.

10. Brown Rice
Brown Rice, has an oil that other rice does not have.  It the oils that lowers cholesterol and not the fiber like many believe. Beans and brown rice in combination make an inexpensive meal that is a great protein low in saturated fat. Also, whole grains like brown rice also provides a good doses of fiber, magnesium and B vitamins.

What do you eat to help reduce your LDL(bad) Cholesterol?