Top Foods To Fight High Cholesterol

Close to 107 million U.S. adults have cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL or higher, a level that the American Heart Association says increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

What follows is a listing of the most potent foods to add to your diet if you want to fight high cholesterol and drive your levels down using your diet as a primary tool.

1. Shitake Mushrooms

The active component in shitake mushrooms–eritadenine–has been found to lower cholesterol levels in animal studies. The more eritadenine the animals received, the more their cholesterol levels dropped.

2. Walnuts

Walnuts contain the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to be excellent for the heart.

3. Uncooked Soy

Good soy sources would be edamame or soy nuts. “Soy-fortified muffins, cereals or nutritional bars in which the soy protein was baked at high temperatures do not provide the benefit,” Anderson said.

4. Blueberries

Researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture have identified an antioxidant in blueberries called pterostilbene (it’s similar to resveratrol, the antioxidant found in grapes and red wine). This compound has effectively lowered cholesterol levels in animal studies.

5. Salmon

This fish is a particularly good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to lower LDL cholesterol while raising the good (HDL) kind.

6. Garlic

Numerous studies have demonstrated that eating garlic regularly reduces LDL cholesterol and raises HDL levels.

7. Avocado

Avocados are rich in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat known to help lower cholesterol. In fact, one study found that people with moderately high cholesterol levels who ate a diet high in avocados for one week had significant drops in total and LDL cholesterol levels, and an 11 percent increase in the good HDL cholesterol.

8. Black Beans

Black beans and other legumes are high in dietary fiber, which is an excellent cholesterol fighter.

9. Apples

Rich in both pectin and fiber, along with powerful antioxidants, including quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, apples help lower bad cholesterol while raising the good kind.

10. Dark Green, Leafy Vegetables

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s Family Heart Study, participants who ate four or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day had significantly lower levels of LDL cholesterol than those who ate fewer servings. Among the most powerful veggies are the dark green, leafy variety, such as spinach, kale, collard greens and Swiss chard.

You can read more detail from the original post at FightCholesterol.org.