Can eating certain foods help improve your cholesterol levels? (2024)

Cholesterol: Top foods to improve your numbers

Diet can play an important role in lowering your cholesterol. Here are some foods to improve your cholesterol and protect your heart.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Can a bowl of oatmeal help lower your cholesterol? How about a handful of almonds? A few simple tweaks to your diet — along with exercise and other heart-healthy habits — might help you lower your cholesterol.

Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods

Oatmeal has soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears.

Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your LDL cholesterol.

One serving of a breakfast cereal with oatmeal or oat bran provides 3 to 4 grams of fiber. If you add fruit, such as a banana or berries, you'll get even more fiber.

Fish and omega-3 fatty acids

Fatty fish has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce your triglycerides — a type of fat found in blood. These acids also may help lower your blood pressure and risk of developing blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of sudden death.

Omega-3 fatty acids don't affect LDL cholesterol levels but may help lower triglycerides and increase HDL, the good cholesterol. But because of those acids' other heart benefits, the American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week. Baking or grilling the fish avoids adding unhealthy fats.

The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in:

  • Mackerel.
  • Herring.
  • Tuna.
  • Salmon.
  • Trout.

Foods such as walnuts, flaxseed and canola oil also have small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 and fish oil supplements are available. Talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.

Almonds and other nuts

Almonds and other tree nuts can improve blood cholesterol. Studies have shown that walnuts, which have omega-3 fats, may help protect the heart and lower the risk of heart attack for people who already have heart disease. All nuts are high in calories, so a handful added to a salad or eaten as a snack will do.

Avocados

Avocados are a good source of nutrients as well as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Research suggests that the fiber from avocados can improve HDL cholesterol levels and the quality of LDL cholesterol. Adding two servings of avocado per week to a heart-healthy diet can lower your risk of heart disease.

People tend to think of avocados in guacamole, which often is eaten with high-fat corn chips. Try adding avocado slices to salads and sandwiches or eating them as a side dish. Also try guacamole with raw cut vegetables, such as cucumber slices.

Replacing saturated fats, such as those found in meats, with MUFAs are part of what makes the Mediterranean diet heart healthy.

Olive oil

Try using olive oil in place of other fats in your diet. 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.

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 lower LDL cholesterol. Adding 2 grams of sterol to your diet every day can lower your LDL cholesterol by 5% to 15%.

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

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.

Other changes to your diet

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. Decreasing your consumption of saturated fats to less than 7% of your total daily calorie intake can reduce your LDL cholesterol by 8% to 10%.

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, 2020.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

May 02, 2024

  1. Tangney CC, et al. Lipid management with diet or dietary supplements. https://uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed March 6, 2023.
  2. Your guide to lowering your cholesterol with therapeutic lifestyle changes. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/all-publications-and-resources/your-guide-lowering-cholesterol-therapeutic-lifestyle. Accessed March 8, 2023.
  3. Grundy SM, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline on the management of blood cholesterol: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. doi:10.1016/j.jac.2018.11.003.
  4. Prevention and treatment of high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia). American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/prevention-and-treatment-of-high-cholesterol-hyperlipidemia. Accessed March 6, 2023.
  5. Feather A, et al., eds. Lipid and metabolic disorders. In: Kumar & Clark's Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 6, 2023.
  6. Pacheo LS, et al. Avocado consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in US adults. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2022; doi:10.1161/JAHA.121.024014.
  7. Eating an avocado once a week may lower heart disease risk. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2022/03/30/eating-an-avocado-once-a-week-may-lower-heart-disease-risk. Accessed March 6, 2023.
  8. Amirani E, et al. Effects of whey protein on glycemic control and serum lipoproteins in patients with metabolic syndrome and related conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. Lipids in Health and Disease. doi: 10.1186/s12944-020-01384-7.
  9. AskMayoExpert. Hyperlipidemia (adult). Mayo Clinic; 2022.
  10. 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/. Accessed March 6, 2023.
  11. Final determination regarding regarding partially hydrogenated oils (removing trans fat). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/final-determination-regarding-partially-hydrogenated-oils-removing-trans-fat. Accessed March 6, 2023.
  12. Mozaffarian D, et al. Dietary fat. https://uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed March 15, 2023.
  13. Mahmassani HA, et al. Avocado consumption and risk factors for heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2018; doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqx078.

See more In-depth

See also

  1. Arcus senilis: A sign of high cholesterol?
  2. Birth control pill FAQ
  3. Cholesterol level: Can it be too low?
  4. Cholesterol medications: Consider the options
  5. Cholesterol ratio or non-HDL cholesterol: Which is most important?
  6. Cholesterol test kits: Are they accurate?
  7. Cholesterol-lowering supplements may be helpful
  8. Coconut oil: Can it cure hypothyroidism?
  9. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
  10. Prickly pear cactus
  11. Eggs and cholesterol
  12. Fasting diet: Can it improve my heart health?
  13. Hashimoto's disease
  14. HDL cholesterol: How to boost your 'good' cholesterol
  15. Herbal supplements and heart drugs
  16. High cholesterol
  17. High cholesterol in children
  18. High cholesterol treatment: Does cinnamon lower cholesterol?
  19. Hypothyroidism: Can calcium supplements interfere with treatment?
  20. Hypothyroidism diet
  21. Hypothyroidism and joint pain?
  22. Hypothyroidism: Should I take iodine supplements?
  23. Hypothyroidism symptoms: Can hypothyroidism cause eye problems?
  24. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
  25. Lowering Triglycerides
  26. Menus for heart-healthy eating
  27. Metabolic syndrome
  28. Niacin overdose: What are the symptoms?
  29. Niacin to improve cholesterol numbers
  30. Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
  31. Is there a risk of rhabdomyolysis from statins?
  32. Soy: Does it reduce cholesterol?
  33. Soy: Does it worsen hypothyroidism?
  34. Statin side effects
  35. Statins
  36. Statins: Do they cause ALS?
  37. Lifestyle changes to improve cholesterol
  38. Trans fat
  39. Triglycerides: Why do they matter?
  40. VLDL cholesterol: Is it harmful?
  41. Mayo Clinic Minute: Out of shape kids and diabetes
  42. Mayo Clinic Minute: Weight loss surgery for kids

.

Can eating certain foods help improve your cholesterol levels? (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Eusebia Nader

Last Updated:

Views: 6606

Rating: 5 / 5 (80 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Eusebia Nader

Birthday: 1994-11-11

Address: Apt. 721 977 Ebert Meadows, Jereville, GA 73618-6603

Phone: +2316203969400

Job: International Farming Consultant

Hobby: Reading, Photography, Shooting, Singing, Magic, Kayaking, Mushroom hunting

Introduction: My name is Eusebia Nader, I am a encouraging, brainy, lively, nice, famous, healthy, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.