Everyday Foods Everyone With High Cholesterol Should Be Eating

Unless you want to be choking down Lipitor pills like they’re candy in your older years, reigning in your cholesterol levels needs to be one of your health priorities. It is still a somewhat nebulous health factor for a lot of people, as we spend a good deal of time talking about things like obesity and calories — with cholesterol as an afterthought. But it’s interrelated, and too much of it can cause some serious health concerns. The key is to watch your diet and make sure you’re not ingesting too much bad cholesterol. Bad cholesterol is typically found in animal-based products: meats and dairy.

If you aim to lower your levels, you can adjust your diet accordingly. Here are seven foods that can help.

1. Oatmeal 

Load up on the steel-cut oats if you plan to put your cholesterol levels in the crosshairs. The key ingredient in oatmeal is the soluble fiber, which is known to reduce bad cholesterol levels. Oatmeal is delicious, but can require some preparation. Also, if you load it up with too many trimmings — sugars, mostly — you can lose some of the overall nutritional benefit.

2. Fish 

Fish is loaded with all kinds of healthy stuff, and it’s also heavy on fats. So how can that help you? Fish is heavy with the good types of fat — omega-3 — which actually helps your body break down and do away with cholesterol buildup. Your body doesn’t produce omega-3 on its own, and fish is a great source of it. You can even replace other dietary staples like beef with fish as a much healthier alternative.

3. Nuts 

Put down the potato chips or chicken wings and snack on some peanuts or almonds instead. Nuts are high in unsaturated fat, the same types of fats found in fish. Again, these fats help your body break down and lower the levels of unhealthy cholesterol in your cells. Some nuts are better than others, but if you’re craving a salty snack, you’re much better off reaching for some nuts over almost anything else.

4. Beans 

They’re not merely the musical fruit, beans are also cholesterol killers. And it all comes down to what makes beans so “musical” — namely, the amount of soluble fiber. That fiber keeps your digestion moving, and helps move cholesterol out of your system. They’re also pretty cheap. So, if you’re on a diet and on a budget, beans should become your new best friend.

5. Leafy greens 

You should be eating plenty of greens as it is, but if you’re serious about lowering your cholesterol, you need to focus on eating as much as you can — specifically, foods like spinach, kale, and lettuce. Greens deliver big amounts of vitamins and minerals, and also hit you with a good dose of fiber, which we know helps take down cholesterol levels.

6. Avocados 

Avocados are an odd food, and one that some people simply can’t stand. But they’re quite nutritious, and can offer up a good serving of healthy vitamins, minerals, and fats. The main ingredients present in the avocado that help battle cholesterol are the healthy, unsaturated fats — though there are other things at work as well.

7. Tea 

You need something to wash all of these foods down with, right? Well, stow the milk and cream-heavy coffees, and stick to tea instead. Teas contain certain phytochemical antioxidants that help your body lower bad cholesterol levels. Tea is also an incredibly versatile beverage. Drink it hot, drink it iced, and add almost anything you want.