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5 foods best at lowering cholesterol
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Diet plays a key role in lowering cholesterol levels, and here are five foods that are best at doing this, and therefore protect your heart.
Oatmeal and oat bran. It is oatmeal that contains soluble fiber, which reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol - low-density lipoproteins. Soluble fiber is also found in beans, pears, apples, plums and barley. If you consume 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber per day (and one serving of oatmeal contains 6 grams of fiber), then your cholesterol level decreases every day.
Fish and omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty fish contains a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the risk of blood clots and blood pressure. It is recommended to eat fatty fish at least twice a week, the most useful from this point of view are mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, tuna, halibut and salmon. Those who do not tolerate fish can replace it with rapeseed or flaxseed oil. Do not replace all the meat in the menu with fish, it also lacks important elements for proper nutrition, for example, selenium.
Almonds, walnuts and other nuts. They contain a lot of polyunsaturated fatty acids. A handful of nuts a day reduces the risk of heart disease several times, although the nuts should be without additives, and of course without sugar.
Olive oil. The amount of antioxidants in it helps to replace fats in your diet with just 2 tablespoons of olive oil, you can fry vegetables or dress a salad with it, replacing other types of oils, especially butter. However, olive oil is high in calories, so eating more than two tablespoons a day is not recommended, refrain from "light" olive oil, it contains very few useful substances.
Products with sterols (stanols). Sterols are substances from plants that block the absorption of cholesterol by the body. These substances can be found in orange juices, yogurts, margarine, they will help reduce cholesterol levels by 10 percent. You should consume at least 2 grams of sterols, which is equal to 250 milliliters of orange juice with them per day.
Lowering your cholesterol requires reducing the amount of trans fats in your diet, which are found in fried meats, store-bought cookies, cakes, crackers, and some types of butter.
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