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If you have high cholesterol, you can actually eat more of certain foods. A handful of some “functional foods” have been shown to make a big impact on your cholesterol levels.

Making gradual and permanent changes in your diet and lifestyle can help you lower your cholesterol levels. Not only will these changes reduce your risk for developing heart disease, but they will also reduce your risk for other serious conditions such as high blood pressure, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.

Also, remember that what you eat can have a large impact on how successful your attempt will be. A few simple tips to your diet  — like these — may be enough to lower your cholesterol to a healthy level and help you stay off medications.

1. Whole grain and Oat

Eating whole grain and Oat can reduces your “bad” cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins, or LDLs) and increase “good” cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins, or HDLs), such as whole wheat, whole oats and oatmeal, whole rye, whole grain barley, brown rice, and popcorn.

Studies say that ten grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your total and LDL cholesterol. Eating eat a cup and a half of beans, or the equivalent of a bowl of soup.

2. Nuts

Nuts, like walnuts, almonds that have high amount of monounsaturated or polyunsaturate. These foods can help lowering cholesterol.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, eating about a handful (1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams) a day of most nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, may reduce your risk of heart disease.

3. Omega-3 fatty acid reduce LDL levels

Omega-3 fatty acids can lower bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and  raise levels of good cholesterol (HDL). They not only lower cholesterol, but they help lower high blood pressure and cut cardiovascular risk, reducing blood pressure and the risk of getting blood clots. Some of the best foods for Omega -3 fatty acids include: salmon (wild, fresh or canned), herring, mackerel (not king), sardines, anchovies, rainbow trout, Pacific oysters, omega-3 fortified eggs, ground flaxseeds, walnuts, seaweed, and soybeans.

5. Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds contain lignan and omega 3, that can block the production of LDL and increase your body’s ability to get rid of cholesterol. There are a lot of food products that contain flaxseed such as bread, cereal and bakery goods.

6. Plant sterols and stanols

Sterols and stanols are natural substances found in many plants, can significantly reduce LDL levels by blocking cholesterol absorption and preventing it from getting into the bloodstream. You can also find it in Margarines, orange juice and yogurt.

Research suggests that eating about two grams of sterols a day  which equals about two 8-ounce (237 milliliters) orange juice can lower cholesterol by up to 14 percent.

7. Olive Oil

Olive oil contains the largest proportion (77%) of monounsaturated fat and has powerful antioxidants, hich has been shown to lower your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol but leave your “good” (HDL) cholesterol untouched.

Some research suggests that the cholesterol-lowering effects of olive oil are even greater if you choose extra-virgin olive oil, meaning the oil is less processed and contains more heart-healthy antioxidants.

8. Blueberries

A compound in blueberries (pterostilbene) will lower cholesterol even more dramatically than statin drugs, without any negative side effects whatsoever. A cup of blueberries a day is more effective than any statin drug in lowering LDL cholesterol.

9. Apples

Apples contain a variety of phytochemicals, including quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, all of which are strong antioxidants.  Apple pectin is a soluble fiber that helps draw cholesterol out of the system. The flavonoids (Quercetin) in apples act as a powerful anti-oxidant that seems to short-circuit the process that leads “bad” LDL cholesterol to accumulate in the bloodstream.

The research suggest that eating about two apples a day, which equals about 12 ounces of apple juice, can  prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

10. Avocado

Avocados are often avoided because they are a high-fat food, but they contain a component called sitosterol, which has been shown to lower cholesterol in more than a dozen human studies.

Research conducted in Mexico found that after eating avocado daily for one week, participants’ total cholesterol dropped 17 percent and their HDL (good) cholesterol increased 11 percent. In one study, women who were given a diet of avocado and olive oil, had a reduction in cholesterol in just six weeks.

11. Soy Protein

Soy protein contains  trypsin inhibitors, phytic acid, sapopins, isoflavones and fiber. These compounds that increase the number and effectiveness of LDL cholesterol receptors, improving the liver’s ability to get rid of cholesterol in your bloodstream.

The study concluded that consuming between 25 to 50 grams per day is both safe and effective in reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by up to 8 percent.

12. Grapes

Grapes contain pterostilbene and resveratol, two compounds that have been shown to have a role in reducing cholesterol. In 2008, researchers at Madrid University developed a juice from the skin and seeds of red grapes and asked human volunteers to add the juice to their diet for 16 weeks. Study participants experienced a 14 percent drop in cholesterol levels and a five percent drop in blood pressure readings.

13 Grapefruit

Grapefruit generally has higher levels of antioxidants, which has been shown to lower your cholesterol. A 2006 study by Israeli researchers found that eating one grapefruit daily for 30 days reduced cholesterol approximately 15 percent. The study found that Red grapefruit was more effective than white in lowering lipids.

14. Cinnamon

Cinnamon contains polyphenols, known more commonly as antioxidants that boost proteins. This compounds that increase the number and effectiveness of LDL cholesterol receptors, improving the liver’s ability to get rid of cholesterol in your bloodstream. Antioxidants scavenge damaging particles in the body known as free radicals.

A study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It also lowers triglyceride, LDL, the bad cholesterol and the total cholesterol level.

15. Cranberry

Cranberry contains polyphenols, pectin and soluble dietary fiber. This compounds that display numerous health benefits such as antioxidant properties and cholesterol lowering effects.

 


 
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