7 Superfoods That Help Improve Cholesterol

By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., Nutrition Editor, EatingWell Magazine

If you have high cholesterol you aren't alone: Nearly half of all American adults have high cholesterol. Not all cholesterol is bad, though (find out what you can do to raise your "good" HDL cholesterol). Your body makes its own and uses it for important functions, such as producing cells and certain hormones. But too much of this waxy substance in the blood clogs arteries.

Though your genes determine how much cholesterol your body produces naturally, your diet plays a role too. If you're worried about your cholesterol, aim to eat less saturated fat (found in red meats, butter and full-fat milk and other dairy) and more fruits and vegetables. Add these foods to your diet, too, which Peter Jaret wrote about in EatingWell Magazine and research has pinpointed as cholesterol-friendly. (Want to learn more about keeping your heart healthy?

What do you eat to improve your cholesterol?

By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.

Brierley's interest in nutrition and food come together in her position as nutrition editor at EatingWell. Brierley holds a master's degree in Nutrition Communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. A Registered Dietitian, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont.

 

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Comments

[iam99]

01:53 AM on 02/21/2012

Organic parsley soup with a some chopped-up garlic and thai chilis is very fine..

[ndtovent]

02:05 PM on 02/20/2012

I agree with all of it except for the vanilla yogurt, the fruit juice, and the alocohol. All of those have tons of sugar we don't need.

[Italian-in-NY]

10:31 PM on 02/19/2012

Also, higher cholesterol is not linked to heart disease. It's what type of cholesterol you have.
Half of people having heart attacks have low or normal cholesterol.

[michael medeiros]

09:40 PM on 02/19/2012

Taking steps to help lower cholesterol can be an important part to avoiding high cholesterol and heart disease. Adding exercise is an important step to better health.

Cholesterol and Heart Disease
http://exerciseandnutritiontips.com/cholesterol-and-heart-disease

[robinhood1]

08:34 PM on 02/19/2012

Barley contains gluten, which causes a variety of problems for a lot of people.

[ddanimal]

05:23 PM on 02/19/2012

This article is complete BS

cholesterol does not cause heart disease
neither does saturated fat
butter is good for you, especially if its grassfed.
same for meat and dairy products.

50% of people who have heart attacks have normal blood cholesterol levels.
Low cholesterol is associated with brain diseases, depression, cancer and other disorders.

Cholesterol is an important nutrient.

Oxidized cholesterol is bad, though.

[DrP]

10:07 PM on 02/20/2012

Amen! I thought everyone knew this by now - what are they teaching "dieticians" and why are they still spouting off poor science and disproven hypotheses?

[edterryedterry]

10:18 AM on 02/19/2012

My total cholesterol was higher (220) eating a low-fat diet that contained almost no animal products. My HDL was also very low (30) even though I exercised 12 hours a week.

Dumping the carbs and replacing them with saturated fat dropped my cholesterol to 180. It also increased my HDL to 70.

Common dietary wisdom is anything but.

[mlaiuppa]

07:17 PM on 02/18/2012

Doing everything except the alcohol.

Also eating salmon more often.

[ManforFreedom]

06:43 PM on 02/18/2012

Vegan?? I don't think so. Notice they don't relate their information to studies done, just inferred. Since realizing what a diet relatively high in carbohydrates for me, was totally wrong, my cholestral level is now a 160 since switcing to a low carbohydrate diet. I don't avoid red meats either. If a person is going to eat lots of grains with carbohydrates then they probably should avoid saturated fat foods. Then the doctor will probably want to put them on Statin drugs, since it probably won't go low enough.

[John Rathe]

04:21 PM on 02/18/2012

An orange juice, vanilla yogurt and blueberry smoothie for breakfast sounds like an incredible amount of sugars with no real fats, protein or fiber.

[mlaiuppa]

07:18 PM on 02/18/2012

Plain yogurt, fresh squeezed orange juice from an orange, fresh blueberries, pure vanilla. I don't see the lot of sugar here. Yogurt is protein, fruit will have fiber.

[John Rathe]

07:55 PM on 02/18/2012

Read the label on flavored yogurt next time you're at the store. It'll surprise you. Most have 30+ grams of sugar per serving. That's as much as a coke.

[John Rathe]

08:01 PM on 02/18/2012

Oh, you said plain. The article says vanilla + juice + fruit, which was my complaint. I think smoothies are great, but you don't need a ton of sugars first thing in the morning. I go with plain Greek style yogurt, so you're getting like 20+g of protein, and usually toss in some avocado, hemp seeds or walnuts. I'd also suggest people opting for spinach or kale. You can pack a cup of greens into a smoothie without substantially altering the taste. Anywho. I'm nitpicking, I know.

[Christopher Sudlik]

03:29 PM on 02/18/2012

Great article. Just remember even super-foods can be improved by growing them yourself and eating them fresh. Some of them are pretty expensive too, so growing them yourself helps a lot. I know the garden units I've developed can grow tons of beans, blueberries, strawberries, and many spices. Check it out http://HGgardens.com Really, the more visits and publicity I get, the sooner I can find funding and make this a reality.

[Geauterre]

02:45 PM on 02/18/2012

Don't forget following up each meal with a healthy swig of Metamucil!

[mlaiuppa]

07:19 PM on 02/18/2012

If you drink plenty of water and eat legumes and vegetables you shouldn't need it.

[Geauterre]

01:29 AM on 02/19/2012

The world is less than perfect.

[mjune]

12:10 PM on 02/18/2012

A bowl of oatmeal, a glass of wine, and thou....

[zeeke]

11:36 AM on 02/18/2012

A load of misinformation and poor advice.

[andvoodoo2]

04:25 PM on 02/18/2012

How so? Do tell.