5 foods that fight high cholesterol

·         Oats give you soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for more soluble fibers.
 
·         Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. They also take a while for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. 
 
·         Nuts: Eating almonds, walnuts, peanuts and other nuts is good for the heart. Eating 2 ounces of nuts a day can slightly lower LDL by about 5%. Nuts have additional nutrients that protect the heart in other ways.

·         Foods fortified with sterols and stanols. Companies are adding them to foods ranging from margarine and granola bars to orange juice and chocolate. They’re also available as supplements. Getting 2 grams of plant sterols or stanols a day can lower LDL cholesterol by about 10%.

·         Fatty fish. Eating fish 2 to 3 times a week can lower LDL in two ways: by replacing meat, which has LDL-boosting saturated fats and by delivering LDL-lowering omega-3 fats.

 

Stay away from saturated and trans fats

Saturated fats are found in red meat, milk and other dairy foods and coconut and palm oils. Trans fats are a byproduct of the chemical reaction that turns liquid vegetable oil into solid margarine or shortening and that prevents liquid vegetable oils from turning rancid. Trans fats boost LDL as much as saturated fats do. They also lower protective HDL, rev up inflammation and increase the tendency for blood clots to form inside blood vessels.