High cholesterol is a condition many adults face as they head into their middle years. To combat this problem, many are turning to foods for lowering LDL cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein or "bad cholesterol." These foods generally include fruits and vegetables, as well as some whole grain breads.
Fibrous foods and foods that are low in saturated fat also go a long way in lowering cholesterol levels. To help balance your cholesterol levels, choose meats that are lean, substitute low-fat margarine for butter and avoid fast food and foods that have trans fats.
Some high cholesterol foods include eggs, which should be limited to no more than two per week, and fatty meats, which should be avoided whenever possible. Not only do fatty meats and processed foods provide more cholesterol than the average person needs, they also offer empty calories, which can lead to obesity, which in turn can lead to additional health issues. Unfortunately, once cholesterol levels have risen, simply eating a different or better diet may not be enough.
Foods that lower LDL cholesterol
Lower cholesterol lifestyle change
Lowering your cholesterol cannot be done by simply making one or two changes in your diet. In order to lower cholesterol in a permanent fashion, you must be ready to undergo a lifestyle change.
Because the human body creates cholesterol, most people are already receiving enough cholesterol for their bodies to operate at optimum capacity. When more cholesterol is added through food intake, the body will try to compensate by creating less cholesterol, which can cause the good cholesterol to drop. But when the cholesterol intake becomes significant, the body will not be able to compensate adequately. Despite the fact that the good cholesterol has been sent out to round up the bad cholesterol and dispose of it, too much bad cholesterol floating around in the blood stream and not enough good cholesterol to corral it and dispose of it can cause the cholesterol cells to collect or stick to the artery walls and that's when clogged arteries can stimulate a stroke or heart attack.
How to lower LDL cholesterol
Exercise goes hand in hand with healthy eating. Dropping bad habits such as smoking and excessive alcohol intake, while at the same time following a diet that is high in fiber and low in fat, will help tremendously in the fight to control high cholesterol. In fact, if you follow a high fiber diet and get enough exercise, within as little as eight weeks you can see a change in overall blood cholesterol numbers.
 | Cholesterol levels can be lowered by reducing or eliminating your intake of foods that contain it, but also by consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins that naturally help the body to lower bad cholesterol and raise the good. |
 | Normal cholesterol levels are essential to a healthy and safe body. Here are 20 quick tips to reach those normal levels of cholesterol. |
Having high cholesterol has been recognized as a risk factor for heart disease for many years. When the link between high cholesterol and cardiac disease was first noted it was assumed that by lowering our dietary intake of cholesterol rich foods then we would lower our total cholesterol. |
Currently, there are two methods to lower your cholesterol, diet and/or medication. Medications work well in lowering your cholesterol number, but you might be concerned about long term side effects of taking the medication. |
In order to understand the differences between LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol, it is important to understand what cholesterol is. |
