Articles
Cholesterol: Top foods to improve your numbers
Walnuts, almonds and other nuts
Content
Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods
Fish and omega-3 fatty acids
Almonds and other nuts
Avocados
Olive oil
Foods with added plant sterols or stanols
Whey protein
Other changes to your diet
Foods with added plant sterols or stanols
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 reduce LDL cholesterol. Adding 2 grams of sterol to your diet every day can lower your LDL cholesterol by 5 to 15 percent.
It's not clear whether food with plant sterols or stanols reduces your risk of heart attack or stroke — although experts assume that foods that reduce cholesterol do reduce the risk. Plant sterols or stanols don't appear to affect levels of triglycerides or of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol.
