Nuts and avocados are good sources of unsaturated fats and make for healthy snacks. These categories of foods are all rich in soluble fiber, which traps cholesterol and helps the body eliminate it:.

Edamame also contain isoflavones, which may lower cholesterol levels. Another cholesterol-busting nutrient is lycopene, which is found in tomatoes. Make sure that you get enough servings of vegetables each day. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , smoking is a major risk factor for high cholesterol and heart disease.

Smoking tobacco causes the arteries to harden and leads to atherosclerosis. It also roughens the walls of the arteries, allowing cholesterol to stick more easily and begin to form plaques.

The most common type of drug to lower cholesterol is called a statin. Statins block the pathway your body uses to create cholesterol from fats in your diet. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Cholesterol is produced by your body and comes from the foods you eat.

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How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R. Learn your family history. Maintain a healthy weight. Check the nutrition facts. Eliminate trans fats. Substitute your oils.

Eat fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Quit smoking. Take medication. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Some people recommend an overall low fat diet for weight loss, but research is mixed on its effectiveness in managing blood cholesterol, according to experts.

Here are a few great sources of monounsaturated fats :. Research from shows that polyunsaturated fats reduce LDL cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart disease.

Polyunsaturated fats may also reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Omega-3 fatty acids are an especially heart-healthy type of polyunsaturated fat.

Trans fats are unsaturated fats that have been modified by a process called hydrogenation. This makes the unsaturated fats in vegetable oils more stable.

The body handles trans fats differently than other fats, and not in a good way. Trans fats increase LDL and total cholesterol while decreasing beneficial HDL. Soluble fiber is a type of fiber that is abundant in plants and whole grains.

Prioritizing whole grains can help lower LDL cholesterol levels and may have a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases. Some of the best sources of soluble fiber include:.

Exercise is a win-win for heart health. Not only does it improve physical fitness and help prevent obesity , but it also reduces harmful LDL and increases beneficial HDL.

The American Heart Association AHA advises that minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week is enough to lower cholesterol levels. Regular strength training alongside aerobic exercise can provide even more benefits. Having excess weight or obesity can increase your risk of developing high cholesterol levels.

Losing weight, if you have excess weight, can help lower your cholesterol levels. Overall, weight loss has a double benefit on cholesterol by decreasing harmful LDL and increasing beneficial HDL. Consider working with a doctor to determine a nutrient-dense diet and sustainable weight management plan that works for you.

Smoking tobacco increases the risk of heart disease in several ways, including:. Giving up smoking, if possible, can help reverse these harmful effects.

According to a review of studies , some research indicates that when consumed in moderation, alcoholic drinks can increase good HDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC and AHA disagree. The AHA does not recommend drinking wine or any other alcoholic beverage specifically to lower your cholesterol or improve heart health.

If you drink, the CDC suggests you consume only two drinks per day for males or one drink per day for females on days that you drink. Multiple types of supplements show promise for managing cholesterol.

Plant stanols and sterols are plant versions of cholesterol. According to a research review, clinical studies show that taking 1.

Small amounts of plant stanols and sterols are naturally found in vegetable oils and are added to certain oils and butter substitutes. You may also consider taking certain types of supplements.

But speak with a healthcare professional before starting or changing your supplement regimen. Although food companies often advertise products as being low in cholesterol, research from shows that dietary cholesterol has only a small influence on the amount of cholesterol in your body.

That said, some foods high in soluble fibers, omega-3 fatty acids, or monounsaturated fats may help lower cholesterol, including:. Typically, there are no symptoms of high cholesterol. However, signs or symptoms of high cholesterol may include:.

Eating foods with cholesterol may not raise your blood cholesterol levels. Eggs may be part of a healthy, balanced diet. However, if you are at risk for cardiovascular disease, you may want to limit the number of eggs you eat each week. Exercise and weight loss can also help.

Read this article in Spanish. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. VIEW ALL HISTORY. This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by experts.

Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strive to be objective, unbiased, honest and to present both sides of the argument.

Nuts — along with many fruits and veggies — can also be a great source of soluble fiber. Adding as many of these foods as you can to your diet can be a double-dose of cholesterol-reducing impact. As with meats and whole grains, remember that more processing means less benefit.

When it comes to dairy, this is a big area where picking a healthier alternative can be an easy win. For items like cheese, milk, cream and yogurt, use low-fat dairy products instead of the regular versions.

Who knows? It could become your next craving. Making these changes is helpful because full-fat dairy products contain saturated fat as well as cholesterol. Just as you can change what you buy in the grocery store, you can also choose healthier ways to make your food that help lower your cholesterol naturally.

For example:. When you do need to add fat for cooking, baking or pan frying, use healthy oils instead of solid fats, like butter, margarine, shortening and lard. Solid fats are high in saturated fats, but oils are high in unsaturated fats, which — remember — are better for you.

The American Heart Association AHA recommends using oils that have less than 4 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon and no trans fats. Try using olive oil, sunflower oil or grapeseed oil in place of a solid fat. You might also bring out some new, surprising, subtle flavors, too.

Plus, many vegetarian meals are just as flavorful and filling as their meaty cousins. For dessert, add some fresh blueberries, strawberries and oats to low-fat vanilla yogurt. The key here is to build up a routine, like making every Tuesday night vegetarian night.

Once that becomes the norm, try expanding to different nights, or add a weekly vegetarian lunch, too. Over time, these modifications can really pay off. This includes raising good HDL cholesterol, managing blood pressure levels and many other heart-healthy benefits.

Do I need to start running every day? Do I need to join a gym or buy a bunch of home fitness equipment? If you want to, go ahead! Ideally, you want to aim for at least 2.

You can break that up however you like. You might focus on doing something every day, or you could dedicate yourself to just a few days per week.

In some families, several people might be diagnosed with high cholesterol or heart disease at a relatively young age men below age 55 years and women below 65 years.

This type of pattern can be caused by genetics, including a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia. Cholesterol and healthy eating What we eat has an impact on our cholesterol levels and can help reduce our risk of disease.

A heart-healthy eating pattern includes: plenty of vegetables, fruit and wholegrains a variety of healthy protein-rich foods especially fish and seafood , legumes such as beans and lentils , nuts and seeds.

Smaller amounts of eggs and lean poultry can also be included in a heart-healthy eating pattern. If choosing red meat, make sure it is lean and limit to one to three times a week unflavoured milk , yoghurt and cheese.

People with high cholesterol should choose reduced fat varieties healthy fats and oils. Choose nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and their oils for cooking herbs and spices to flavour foods, instead of adding salt.

Serving size can vary depending on age, gender and specific nutrition needs. Healthy eating tips to lower cholesterol As well as sticking to a varied and healthy diet, try these tips to help you manage your cholesterol: The Heart Foundation recommends that people follow a heart-healthy eating pattern, which is built on eating mostly plant-based foods.

Eating more plant-based foods like vegetables, legumes, fruit, wholegrains, nuts and seeds is good for heart health. Include legumes or pulses such as chickpeas, lentils, split peas , beans such as haricot beans, kidney beans, baked beans , bean mixes in at least two meals a week.

Check food labels and choose the lowest sodium salt products. Beans make a great alternative to meat in tacos, or snack on hummus with vegetable sticks. You can also add legumes to soups, pasta sauces, curries and stews. Use tofu or lentils instead of meat in stir fries or curries.

Choose wholegrain breads, cereals, pasta, rice and noodles. Snack on plain, unsalted nuts and fresh fruit ideally two serves of fruit every day. Use avocado, nut butters, tahini or spreads made from healthy unsaturated fats such as canola, sunflower or extra virgin olive oil instead of those made with saturated fat such as butter, coconut oil and cream.

Use healthy oils for cooking — some include canola, sunflower, soybean, olive extra virgin is a good choice , sesame and peanut oils.

For people at high risk of heart disease, the Heart Foundation recommends people eat grams of plant sterol-enriched foods every day for example, plant sterol-enriched margarine, yoghurt, milk and cereals.

Enjoy fish two to three times a week grams fresh or g tinned. However, a maximum of seven eggs each week is recommended for people with high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Select lean meat meat trimmed of fat, and poultry without skin and limit unprocessed red meat to less than g per week.

Choose unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese. People with high cholesterol or heart disease should opt for reduced fat options. Non-dairy milks and yoghurts are ok too; opt for versions that have no added sugar and have had calcium added.

Limit or avoid processed meats including sausages and deli meats such as ham, bacon and salami. Check out the Heart Foundation website External Link for a range of simple, delicious recipes including vegetarian recipes and those that include plant-based proteins such as lentils, chickpeas and beans: Dietary fibre If you are trying to lower your cholesterol, aim to eat foods that are high in dietary fibre particularly soluble fibre , because they can reduce the amount of LDL bad cholesterol in your blood.

You can increase your fibre intake by eating: fruit vegetables legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, soybeans and bean mixes wholegrains for example, oats and barley nuts and seeds. Dietary fats Following a healthy, balanced diet that is low in saturated fats and trans-fats can help to lower your cholesterol.

Unhealthy fats Foods high in unhealthy saturated fats include: processed or deli-style meats such as ham, bacon and salami deep fried fast foods processed foods such as biscuits and pastries takeaway foods such as hamburgers and pizza fat on meat and skin on chicken ghee, lard and copha coconut oil palm oil often called vegetable oil in products cream and ice cream butter.

Healthy fats Foods high in healthy polyunsaturated fats include: soybean, sunflower, safflower, canola oil and margarine spreads made from these oils pine nuts, walnuts and brazil nuts. fish tahini sesame seed spread linseed flaxseed and chia seeds Foods high in healthy monounsaturated fats include: cooking oils made from plants or seeds, including: olive, canola, peanut, sunflower, soybean, sesame and safflower avocados olives unsalted nuts such as almonds, cashews and peanuts.

If you regularly eat more energy than you need, you may have high triglycerides. Lowering triglycerides Some ways to reduce triglyceride levels include: stick to a healthy diet by following a heart-healthy eating pattern and limiting unhealthy fats, salt and added sugar opt for water, tea and coffee without adding sugar as heart-healthy drinks, instead of sugar-sweetened drinks such as soft drinks, cordial, energy drinks and sports drinks include foods with healthy omega-3 fats for example, fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna reduce or limit your alcohol intake maintain a healthy weight and reduce fat around your middle.

Treatment for high cholesterol Making lifestyle changes, especially changing some of the foods you eat, and regular physical activity , are very important to help reduce high LDL bad cholesterol.

Move more. You can saute vegetables in olive oil, add it to a marinade or mix it with vinegar as a salad dressing. You can also use olive oil as a substitute for butter when basting meat or as a dip for bread. Extra virgin olive oil also reduces the risk of heart attacks.

Sterols and stanols are substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol. Foods that have been fortified with sterols or stanols are available.

Margarines and orange juice with added plant sterols can help lower LDL cholesterol. It's not clear whether food with plant sterols or stanols lowers your risk of heart attack or stroke — although experts assume that foods that lower cholesterol do cut the risk.

Plant sterols or stanols don't appear to affect levels of triglycerides or of high-density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol.

Whey protein, which is found in dairy products, may account for many of the health benefits attributed to dairy. Studies have shown that whey protein given as a supplement lowers both LDL and total cholesterol as well as blood pressure. You can find whey protein powders in health food stores and some grocery stores.

Getting the full benefit of these foods requires other changes to your diet and lifestyle. One of the most helpful changes is limiting the saturated and trans fats you eat. Saturated fats — such as those in meat, butter, cheese and other full-fat dairy products — raise your total cholesterol.

Trans fats, sometimes listed on food labels as "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil," are often used in margarines and store-bought cookies, crackers and cakes. Trans fats raise overall cholesterol levels. The Food and Drug Administration banned the use of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in processed foods sold after January 1, There is a problem with information submitted for this request.

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By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for subscribing! Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. Show references Tangney CC, et al. Lipid management with diet or dietary supplements. Accessed March 6, Your guide to lowering your cholesterol with therapeutic lifestyle changes.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Accessed March 8, Grundy SM, et al. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Prevention and treatment of high cholesterol hyperlipidemia. American Heart Association. Feather A, et al. Lipid and metabolic disorders.