Cholesterol is a substance that’s naturally produced by the body. Your body needs some of this fat-like substance to function properly, but if you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can stick to the walls of your arteries. This can cause the arteries to narrow or even be fully blocked, leading to coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke.

One way to lower your cholesterol is by making dietary changes. This is not always enough and some people may also need to take medication to get their cholesterol levels into a healthy range.

What is a low cholesterol diet?

The best way to lower cholesterol through diet is by eating a variety of healthy foods while limiting saturated and trans fat, added sugars, refined oils and processed foods. This type of diet is not only good for your heart, but your overall health, so it’s a good way to eat whether or not you need to lower cholesterol levels. You may think you also need to reduce the amount of dietary cholesterol you eat – such as is found in egg yolks and shrimp – but dietary cholesterol has been shown to not influence blood cholesterol levels.

What foods are good to eat when trying to lower cholesterol?

A heart-healthy diet is one that contains an abundance of colorful vegetables and fruits, as well as minimally processed foods from a variety of food groups, including whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, lean proteins and healthy oils. It’s also helpful to increase the amount of soluble fiber, plant sterols and omega-3 fatty acids you eat.

• Soluble fiber is found in plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. It slows digestion and helps prevent your digestive tract from absorbing cholesterol. Good sources include oats, beans, lentils, apples, oranges and bananas.
• Plant sterols also help prevent the absorption of cholesterol. They are found in whole grains, legumes, nuts and olive oil.
• Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines. They’re also in some plant-based foods, such as flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts.

What types of food should you limit or avoid?

Limiting processed, baked and fried foods is important if you’re trying to lower your cholesterol. These foods are often filled with saturated and trans fat, added sugar, refined oils and other ingredients that may not only increase cholesterol levels but are bad for your health in other ways. Here are some examples of foods to limit or avoid:

• Processed foods – Chips, crackers, candy, ice cream, soda, boxed mac n’ cheese, frozen pizza, etc.
• Baked goods – Cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, pastries, doughnuts, etc.
• Fried foods – French fries, chicken nuggets, onion rings, etc.

The foods below are high in saturated fat, so you may want to limit them as well. However, eating some of these foods in combination with a plant-based or whole-food diet may be okay for some people trying to lower cholesterol.

• Meat – Fatty cuts of beef, lamb, pork and poultry (with skin), bacon, sausage, burgers, hot dogs, deli meat
• Dairy – Butter, cream and whole-milk, as well as cheese and yogurt made with whole milk
• Oils – Tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil, lard, ghee, margarine

In addition to following a diet focused primarily on whole foods and limiting processed foods, other ways to naturally reduce cholesterol levels include exercising regularly, losing weight, getting enough quality sleep, not smoking and reducing stress – all factors that help you live healthier overall.

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