Which Foods are Good for High Cholesterol and Heart Health?

- The Naturachol team.

A heart-healthy diet can promote healthy cholesterol levels and help lower LDL cholesterol

What are heart-healthy foods and how can they contribute to lower levels of cholesterol? A healthy diet can help change your heart health by replacing bad fats that induce higher levels of LDL cholesterol (which is considered bad cholesterol) that cause heart damage. It is not necessary to make drastic lifestyle changes to switch to a healthy diet. We will discuss some simple methods to promote healthy cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease that one can easily incorporate into the daily routine.

Go Green

Vegetables like spinach, kale, and arugula are packed with rich vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. More importantly, they contain Folic Acid, which is good for the arteries and helps reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke^1,2. Studies have shown links between leafy greens and lower risk of heart diseases, high cholesterol, and even heart attacks. Skimp out on the heavy salad dressing that contains unhealthy fats and dress it up with some vegetable oil instead.

Our top picks: Spinach, arugula, kale Add a twist to your summer salad with this sweet pairing of watermelon and arugula.

Get a delicious dose of vitamin K and heart-healthy olive oil with this recipe here.

Go Nuts

Studies show that eating 1 ounce of nuts 5 days a week can lower LDL cholesterol. That's 23 almonds, 18 cashews, or 12 hazelnuts. A great source of fiber and unsaturated fats, they are a great snack on their own, added as a topping, or in nut butter form. Don’t overdo it though, as too many nuts can result in increased calories which can contribute to weight gain.

Our top picks: Walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds

Get a balanced blend of heart-healthy nuts and cranberries with this powerful and nourishing superfood trail mix recipe here.

Go Fish

Fatty fish increases “good” HDL cholesterol levels due to its high Omega-3 content⁴. It also has the added benefit of lowering inflammation according to a study cited by the American Heart Association⁵. Another study has shown that adults who consumed tuna or other broiled fish once a week had a lower risk of developing a stroke⁶. But don't undo the benefits of consuming fish by frying it– the best way to consume fish is either steamed, grilled, or baked. When you cook fish, try to stay away from animal products and margarine (which is high in trans fats) but rather use vegetable oils instead (such as olive oil). Fatty fish has plenty of healthy omega-3 fatty acids already, so do not reduce the benefits by adding unhealthy oils.

Our top picks: Tuna, mackerel, and salmon

Get some omega-3 into your weekend barbecue with this dead-simple, grilled salmon-in-foil recipe here.

Go Soluble

You’ve probably heard that whole grains and oatmeal are cholesterol lowering foods⁷. Oatmeal belongs to a category of fiber called soluble fiber, which attracts water and turns to gel in the digestive tract. The type of soluble fiber in oatmeal contains beta-glucans which reduces the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream and helps to flush it out of the digestive system. Other sources of soluble fiber are lentils, brussels sprouts, kidney beans, and pears. When cooking your oatmeal, try replacing dairy products with oat milk or another plant based milk. Research shows that whole milk is high in saturated fat and can increase the serum cholesterol.

Our top picks: Oatmeal, barley, flaxseed

References:

1. 5 Superfoods to Improve Heart Health. (2019). Pennmedicine.Org. https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/heart-and-vascular-blog/2019/january/5-superfoods-to-improve-heart-health 

2. Corliss, J. (2015, March 18). Folic acid, a B vitamin, lowers stroke risk in people with high blood pressure. Harvard Health. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/folic-acid-a-b-vitamin-lowers-stroke-risk-in-p eople-with-high-blood-pressure.

3. Li, T. Y., Brennan, A. M., Wedick, N. M., Mantzoros, C., Rifai, N., & Hu, F. B.(2009). Regular consumption of nuts is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in women with type 2 diabetes. The Journal of nutrition, 139(7), 1333–1338. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.108.103622.

4. Yanai, Hidekatsu et al. “An Improvement of Cardiovascular Risk Factors by Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids.” Journal of clinical medicine research vol. 10,4 (2018): 281-289. doi:10.14740/jocmr3362w.

5. Souza, P. R., Marques, R. M., Gomez, E. A., Colas, R. A., de Matteis, R., Zak, A., Patel, M., Collier, D. J., & Dalli, J. (2020). Enriched Marine Oil Supplements Increase Peripheral Blood Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators Concentrations and Reprogram Host Immune Responses. Circulation Research, 126(1), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.1161/circresaha.119.315506

6. Mozaffarian, Dariush et al. “Fish consumption and stroke risk in elderly individuals: the cardiovascular health study.” Archives of internal medicine vol. 165,2 (2005): 200-6. doi:10.1001/archinte.165.2.200

7. Whitehead A, Beck EJ, Tosh S, Wolever TM. Cholesterol-lowering effects of oat β-glucan: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Dec;100(6):1413-21. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.086108. Epub 2014 Oct 15. PMID: 25411276; PMCID: PMC5394769.