Guest Post: Benefits of a Cholesterol Lowering Diet and Tips to Lower Cholesterol

By: Linda Albert

We all know the negative impacts that high cholesterol, largely a modern lifestyle health problem, can have on the system – high cholesterol can clog arteries and lead to heart disease as well as other ailments such as hypercholesterolemia and raise risk of cancer. Since it is mainly one's diet that causes cholesterol levels to rise in the first place, a cholesterol lowering diet can be an effective antidote to the problem.

It is important to know that all cholesterol is not bad and that it requires maintaining the right balance of the good cholesterol or HDL (high density lipoprotein) and bad cholesterol or LDL (low density lipoprotein) and this is what a cholesterol lowering diet should ideally be geared towards.
The Mayo clinic suggests that some simple diet modifications can help lower cholesterol with resorting to medications and recommends that the following foods are a vital part of a cholesterol lowering diet.

High fiber foods
Foods such as oatmeal, apples, pears, kidney beans, prunes and barley contain soluble fiber that lowers LDL and prevent cholesterol from being absorbed by the blood stream. It is important to include these foods, bananas, oatmeal bran and other high fiber foods in a cholesterol lowering food plan.

Include fish
The kind of fat found in fish, is very healthy because of its Omega 3 fatty acid content. It is advisable that at least two servings of fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, lake trout, albacore tuna and halibut be consumed per week. In order to get the best out of fish it should be grilled or baked so that unhealthy cooking fats are not added to it.

Nuts
Nuts are another nutrient packed source of goodness. Though all nuts are high in calories, they also provide many health benefits – almonds, walnuts etc help keep blood vessels healthy and lower cholesterol and so should form part of any cholesterol lowering diet.
So long as the nuts are not sugar coated or salted, a handful of nuts such as hazelnuts, pecans, peanuts, pistachios, walnuts and almonds can help lower heart disease risk. Nuts can be a healthy snack or a piquant and crunchy addition to a salad.

Olive Oil
One of the reasons why the Mediterranean diet is thought to be so healthy is due to the reliance it places on olive oil. The antioxidants in olive oil lower bad cholesterol without lowering good cholesterol. The recommended amount of olive oil to be consumed a day is about two tablespoons and can be used for stir frying, a cooking medium, as a dip, as a salad dressing, for basting meat and so on.

Plant Sterols or Stanols
There are many foods that come fortified with stanols and sterols, which are substances known to prevent cholesterol absorption – certain orange juices, margarines and yoghurts are fortified with these and can help to significantly lower bad cholesterol and appear not to interfere with good cholesterol.
Foods that should not form part of a cholesterol lowering diet are trans fats, saturated and animal fats and full fat dairy.

Author Bio:
This is a guest post by FitnessHealthZone.com, a premier blog on health and fitness. The blog offers expert advice, tips and information on topics such as mens fitness, exercises, diet and nutrition, body building, exercise equipment, healthy living, yoga, vitamins & supplements.