Low-Fat Diets to Reduce Cholesterol

Eating a low-fat diet is an important strategy for lowering your cholesterol but it's not as simple as just cutting back on fatty foods; the real key to reducing dangerous cholesterol levels is limiting the fats that raise LDL cholesterol while focusing on the fats that lower it. This means that while fruits and vegetables are essential, lowering cholesterol doesn't mean existing on dry lettuce and carrot sticks; you can and should eat rich and satisfying foods that contain unsaturated fats, while consuming the fiber and nutrients your body needs from low-fat produce, grains and dairy.

Good Fats and Bad Fats

• Saturated fats and trans fats, like those found in whole-fat milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, commercial baked goods and fried foods raise levels of harmful LDL cholesterol. Unsaturated fats, found in seeds, nuts, avocados, fish and certain plant oils, can lower LDL cholesterol while raising HDL cholesterol; HDL cholesterol is considered "good cholesterol" because it removes excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and excretes it from the body, according to Harvard University.

Eating to Reduce Cholesterol

• A cholesterol-lowering diet should limit foods high in saturated or trans fat to an occasional treat. Instead, make unsaturated fats a daily part of your menu by snacking on nuts and seeds. Replace high-fat beef and dark-meat poultry with fish and cook with vegetable oil instead of butter. The healthiest fish for your cholesterol levels include salmon, mackerel, cod, tuna, herring and halibut ,while the best oils are olive, canola, peanut, sunflower, soybean and flaxseed oils.

  Just remember that while foods high in unsaturated fat are excellent for heart health and cholesterol levels, they tend to be high in calories so eat them in small but frequent quantities. Fiber can also lower cholesterol levels, says the Mayo Clinic, so aim for eight or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day and at least six servings of whole grain foods like brown rice, whole-grain bread, oatmeal, bran and whole-wheat pasta.

  Rather than limiting your dairy intake, simply switch to reduced-fat versions of cheese, milk and yogurt so you don't miss out on the calcium and protein these foods deliver. A low-fat diet for reducing cholesterol should be varied and include foods from every food group; there's no need to completely eliminate anything from your diet, although you should severely restrict your intake of trans fats which are doubly harmful since they raise LDL cholesterol while lowering HDL, according to Harvard University.