Are There Foods That Lower Cholesterol?
Lowering low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or bad cholesterol, can be as easy as increasing your fiber intake and swapping red meat, cheese, and ice cream for these equally tasty foods that lower cholesterol.
Avocado
Eating an apple a day isn’t the only thing that will keep the doctor away. Adding one avocado a day to a moderate-fat diet can lower LDL by 13.5 mg/dL, according to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association. That’s compared to just 7.4 mg/dL when participants went on a lower-fat diet. Unlike other foods that lower cholesterol, avocado is rich in monounsaturated fats, which could be used as a substitute for LDL-raising saturated fats, says Li Wang, Ph.D., R.D., research associate at UC Davis. “Avocado is also rich in dietary fiber and plant sterols, meaning they can decrease cholesterol absorption in the intestine and lower plasma cholesterol.” (That’s not the only nutritional benefit of the all-star fruit.)
Excerpted from Shape
