Food to Avoid High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a substance made by your liver to help synthesize vitamins and hormones. If too much cholesterol remains in your bloodstream, blood vessels and arteries can become blocked, causing damage such as heart disease and stroke. To avoid high cholesterol you should eat foods that raise HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Phytosterols

• Phytosterols are substances in plants that serve the same function cholesterol does in humans. Eating food high in phytosterols helps you avoid high cholesterol by helping your body excrete more cholesterol. Phytosterols are also deposited in intestinal walls, making less room for cholesterol deposits. Oils made from corn, flax seed, rice bran, olives, soybeans and wheat germ are high in phytosterols. Vegetables such as brussels sprouts, yams, cabbage, onions and carrots and fruit such as apples, bananas, oranges, pears, cherries and peaches also contain phytosterols. Other sources include peas, beans and nuts.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Eat food high in omega-3 fatty acids. They lower triglycerides and increase your HDL cholesterol, which helps lower bad cholesterol by carrying LDL cholesterol out of your bloodstream. At least twice a week include seafood, such as wild salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, lake trout, sea bass, halibut, oysters and clams. Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, flax seed, pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, soybean and canola oil.

Dietary Fiber

• Dietary fiber is the part of plants that isn't digested or absorbed easily by the small intestine. Cholesterol binds with fiber in the intestines so it can be removed from your body instead of entering your blood. Soluble fiber keeps cholesterol low by causing your liver to absorb excess cholesterol in your body. Foods high in soluble fiber include fruit skins, vegetables and whole grains, such as oats, barley and bran. Eat more than 10 grams a day to lower your cholesterol.