Healthy Lifestyle For All

Cholesterol-cutting Nutrition Tips

Research shows that almost half of North American adults, over the age of 20, have high cholesterol.¹ It has been shown that the simple act of eating a healthy diet can help you lower your cholesterol and maintain healthy cholesterol levels. These healthy-eating tips will help you reach your heart-health goals.

Cholesterol-cutting Foods

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Eat your oats. Research suggests the soluble fiber (beta glucan) found in oats may help reduce both total cholesterol and the “bad” LDL cholesterol.² If you're not a fan of oatmeal, try oat cereal or an oat bran muffin.

Sprinkle some flaxseeds. Flaxseeds contain lignan and soluble fiber, which may help block the formation of LDL cholesterol and help your body get rid of cholesterol.³ Flaxseeds’ mildly nutty flavor is a complement to salads, cereal, yogurt, and homemade breads or muffins.

Snack on nuts. Nuts are high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which may help lower LDL cholesterol.⁴ Almonds, walnuts, and cashews are rich sources of monounsaturated fats and can be eaten as snacks, sprinkled on salads, and added to your oatmeal, cereal, or yogurt.

Sneak in some soy. Many people think soy is only for serious vegetarians, but it's actually an excellent source of complete protein for everyone. Soy also contains healthful compounds that may help reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.⁵ Try making a fruit smoothie with frozen fruit, vanilla soy milk, and a soy-based protein powder; also try snacking on soy nuts or sneaking tofu into soups, chili, or lasagna.

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Focus on fish. The American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish – such as salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, lake trout, herring, and sardines – at least twice a week to promote heart health. If you don’t like fish, consider taking a high-quality fish oil supplement containing one to three grams of omega-3 fatty acids.

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Get some garlic. Garlic may help reduce total and LDL cholesterol.⁶ If you’re not up for eating one to two cloves daily, consider a garlic supplement containing allicin, garlic’s active compound.

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Sip some green tea. Green tea has been shown to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol while raising your “good” HDL cholesterol.⁷ But, much of this research is based on the amount of tea consumed in Asian countries – three cups a day. If you don't drink a lot of green tea, a supplement containing green tea extracts and its active compounds – theaflavins and catechins – may help.

Heart Healthy Alternatives

Certain foods can contribute to high cholesterol if eaten on a regular basis. While forbidding foods is never a good idea, a successful strategy is finding healthier alternatives to most of these cholesterol-promoting foods.

Gradual Changes Win the Race

Don’t change your entire diet overnight. Make one dietary change at a time and move forward gradually. Changes are more likely to become permanent if they're done at a slow, comfortable pace – just don’t lose focus. The more heart-healthy lifestyle changes you make, the greater positive impact it will have on your cholesterol and your overall health.

Lisa Kirkman, M.S., R.D.

Amway Global Health Instructor

¹ americanheart.org
² Oat [beta ]-glucan lowers total and LDL-cholesterol. Sylvia Pomeroy, Richard Tupper, Marja Cehun-Aders, Paul Nestel. Australian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics. March 2001 v58 i1 p51(5).
³ “Flaxseed.” Greg Annussek. and Rebecca J. Frey, PhD. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 4 vols. Updated July 1, 2006.
⁴ Oh (Nutritious) Nuts! Harvard Health Commentaries. Jan 3, 2007 pNA.
⁵ Soy isoflavones lower serum total and LDL cholesterol in humans: a meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials. Kyoko Taku, Keizo Umegaki, Yoko Sato, Yuko Taki, Kaori Endoh, Shaw Watanabe. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. April 2007 v85 i4 p1148(9).
⁶ “Garlic.” Patience Paradox. and Teresa G. Odle. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 4 vols. Updated July 1, 2006.
⁷ “Green tea.” Paula Ford-Martin. and Teresa G. Odle. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 4 vols. Updated July 1, 2006.