In order to improve the functionality of your arteries and blood flow, consuming foods that can help lower cholesterol is the best way to achieve a low cholesterol diet.
Oats
Eating a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal for breakfast is the perfect way to begin a low cholesterol diet. This provides one to two grams of soluble fiber, according to Harvard Medical School. Current nutritional standards suggest that an individual consumes 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day, with at least five grams coming from soluble fiber.
Foods fortified with sterols and stanols
Extracted from plants, sterols and stanols aid in the body’s ability to absorb cholesterol from food. They are available as supplements and can be found in foods such as granola bars and chocolate.
“Getting 2 grams of plant sterols or stanols a day can lower harmful cholesterol by about 10%,” according to Harvard Medical School.
Soy
Consuming 25 grams of soy protein a day can help lower the “bad” cholesterol by five to six percent. Soy-based foods contain less saturated fat than meat and provide healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Fatty fish
Consuming fish two to three times a week can lower cholesterol in two ways: by replacing meat and delivering low cholesterol omega-3 fats. Omega-3s protect the heart by preventing the onset of abnormal heart rhythm.
Vegetable oils
Liquid vegetable oils, such as sunflower, canola, and safflower, can be used to replace the most popular cooking ingredients, such as butter or lard. This helps to lower the harmful cholesterol in your body.
Nuts
Eating almonds, peanuts, and walnuts is beneficial for your heart. Consuming two ounces of nuts a day can lower the harmful cholesterol in the body. They are high in monounsaturated fats and are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are associated with heart health.
“Almonds and other nuts are particularly rich in L-arginine, an amino acid that helps your body make nitric oxide. This, in turn, helps regulate blood pressure,” says the website Healthline. Nuts also provide phytosterols, plant compounds that are similar in structure to cholesterol, and help to lower cholesterol by blocking its absorption in your intestines.
Avocados
A nutrient dense food, avocados are a rich source of fiber and monounsaturated fats. These two nutrients lower the “bad” cholesterol and raise the “good” cholesterol. A 2016 study determined that substituting avocados for other fats is linked to lower triglycerides and total cholesterol.
Cocoa
The main ingredient in chocolate, cocoa protects the harmful cholesterol in your blood from oxidation, the key cause of heart disease.
Garlic
Studies show that garlic lowers blood pressure in people with high levels. Allicin, a compound found in garlic, reduces other heart disease factors as well.
Tea
Containing many plant compounds that improve heart health, these compounds activate nitric oxide, which is vital for healthy blood pressure. Also, they help prevent blood clots.
Source:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/11-foods-that-lower-cholesterol
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-foods-that-lower-cholesterol-levels#section3
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1933287415004274
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944711315003359
