If you are trying to lower your cholesterol levels through diet – It’s definitely possible!

Why It’s Important, In short

Lowering your cholesterol helps keep your blood pressure in a healthy range and reduces your risk for a myriad of conditions, including heart disease and diabetes. 

Here are some of our recommended cholesterol-lowering foods that you should include in your diet this summer:

Nuts

Nuts are a good source of healthful fats, fiber, and other beneficial nutrients. Many studies have shown that nuts provide various health benefits — especially in regards to reducing heart disease risk factors.

Many of them, especially almonds and pecans, can be beneficial for lowering your cholesterol levels. 

A number of small studies have found that eating an almond-rich diet can reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and oxidized LDL cholesterol, which is particularly harmful to heart health (1, 2, 3).

Flaxseeds

(Photo credit – SINEW)

Olives

Olives contain healthy fats that help lower total cholesterol levels, as well as improve your HDL to LDL ratio. You can add them to your salad or eat them between meals.

Oats

There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is acted upon by the normal bacteria in your intestines. Insoluble fiber is not digested by the body and promotes regularity and softens stools

Oatmeal contains soluble fiber that reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad” cholesterol that can increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes. 

To sum up,

In addition to eating a nutritious diet, exercise also plays a role in lowering your cholesterol levels. Combine the two and you will be on your way to a healthier mind and body!