10 Foods That Fight High Cholesterol

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10 Foods That Fight High Cholesterol

If you want to get control of your cholesterol before a doctor puts you on a

lifetime of medications, change what you eat. So often, a " healthy diet " is

defined not by what you eat, but rather by what you don't eat. That is, stay

away from potato chips and ice cream and you must be eating a healthy diet. Not

so fast. The focus should instead be on what you do eat. Doctors now know that

certain foods have specific effects on the human body, and some foods are

known to naturally lower cholesterol. Print this list and take it to the grocery

store.

 

10 foods that naturally fight high cholesterol, according to Quality Health

News:

 

1. Walnuts

Packed with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts help lower dangerous

levels of fatty triglycerides.

 

2. Whole-grain oats

Eat your oatmeal or Cheerios. Fiber that is found in unrefined whole-grain

foods can help lower cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association.

 

3. Blueberries

U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers say pterostilbene, an antioxidant

in blueberries, may help to lower cholesterol.

 

4. Shiitake mushrooms

The active component eritadenine helps lower overall cholesterol levels.

 

5. Salmon

This excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to lower " bad "

LDL cholesterol, while raising " good " HDL levels.

 

6. Garlic

Studies show that eating garlic regularly reduces LDL and raises HDL levels.

 

7. Black beans

Black beans are high in dietary fiber, an effective fighter against

cholesterol.

 

8. Avocados

They're rich in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat shown to help lower

cholesterol.

 

9. Apples

Packed with pectin, fiber and many powerful antioxidants, apples help lower

LDL and raise HDL levels.

 

10. Leafy green vegetables

Eating four or more servings of fruits/vegetables a day significantly lowered

LDL, compared to those who ate less, the National Heart, Lung and Blood

Institute's Family Heart Study found. The best? That's spinach, kale and collard

greens.

 

1 Vitamin: Lose Weight, Cut Cholesterol

Taking calcium and vitamin D supplements while also reducing calorie intake

can have a stunning impact on your cholesterol and even help you lose weight,

according to researchers from Laval University in Ste-Foy, Quebec in Canada.

Best of all, it doesn't take long to reap the benefits.

 

Reuters reports that in this 15-week study, 63 overweight and obese women

were randomly given either 600-milligram tablets daily of calcium and 200 IU of

vitamin D supplements or a placebo. Each woman consumed 700 fewer calories per

day than she previously had. At the end of the study period, those who took

the calcium and vitamin D supplements showed greater drops in LDL or " bad "

cholesterol and increases in HDL ( " good " ) cholesterol than those who took the

placebos. Prior to the study, all the women had been getting less than 800

milligrams a day of calcium.

Lead study author Dr. Angelo Tremblay told Reuters that many overweight

women don't get enough calcium. " Maybe half of our obese patients do not get

enough calcium. It's not a trivial fraction, " he said.

 

What they found in this study is that the effect of calcium supplementation

on total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio and LDL-to-HDL cholesterol ratio was

independent of how much weight the women lost. Tremblay also said calcium

appears to

interfere with fat absorption and helps the body burn fat. It may even aid in

appetite control.

The study findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition, 2007.

 

--From the Editors at Netscape