Foods to Help Lower Cholesterol

1) Beans and Lentils
Half a cup of cooked dry pinto beans daily for 12 weeks lowered total cholesterol by about 8%, studies have shown. Other research has linked beans with decreased levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol.

2)Plant sterols and stanols
These compounds help block the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Foods such as orange juice and yogurt drinks are often fortified with sterols and stanols. To see your LDL (bad) cholesterol drop by about 5% to 15%, though, you need to eat at least 2 grams of these substances a day. You can get this amount of sterols and stanols by drinking two 8 ounce glasses of fortified orange juice a day.

3)"Good" Fats and Oils
Monounsaturated fats in particular can help reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol. They can be found in avocados, peanut butter and nuts like hazelnuts, almonds and pecans. Vegetable oils include olive, canola and peanut.



Source: ivillage.com

Natural Remedies to Lower Cholesterol

Although holistic MDs debate the degree to which cholesterol is the main determinant in heart health, a lower level is better. To lower the level the LDL the 'bad cholesterol', Michael Traub N.D. and director of the Lokahi Health center in Hawaii suggests these natural remedies:

1) Red yeast rice, which contains monacolins, can lower LDL levels 30% . He suggests getting a pharmaceutical-grade extract which is prescribed by a doctor. Use CoQ10 as red yeast lowers the CoQQ10 count.

2) Nuts - walnuts and almonds especially can reduce heart disease risk factors by 30-40%

3) Plant Sterols - found in orange juice, yogurt, cheese, salad dressing, granola bars

4) Omega-3 Fatty Acids - 3 or more servings a fish per week . It stabilizes heart rhythm and inhibits the ability of platelets to clot. Can take 1,000 mg -3,000 mg supplement

5) Magnesium - 400 mg dose daily.

6) Anti-inflammatory foods - garlic,fish, ginger, turmeric

A full text of this article can be found in the March 2008 edition of Bottom Line Personal