It turns out that the most important element — and the most dangerous — is fat. “Bad” saturated fat and trans fat raise the dangerous low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol that can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries. “Good” unsaturated fat helps lower LDL cholesterol and raise beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which can remove LDL cholesterol and help keep arteries clear. “Of course, genetics play a role in our heart health as we age, but an unhealthy diet is a leading contributor to poor heart health,” says Meghann Featherstun, RD, a clinical dietitian and wellness coach at the University Hospitals of Cleveland Accountable Care Organization in Ohio. If a cholesterol-lowering diet is your goal, getting the right amount of fat — in the right forms — is important. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet recommends a total fat intake of 25 to 35 percent of total daily calories, and less than 7 percent of those calories should come from saturated or trans fats, which are extremely bad for heart health.
What Not to Eat: Foods That Raise Cholesterol
Whether you have high cholesterol that needs to be lowered or you simply want to maintain an already-healthy cholesterol level, avoiding certain foods can help. Any food that contains saturated fat is a no-no for a cholesterol-lowering diet. Trans fats are equally as bad, if not worse. “Trans fats are a double whammy — they raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol,” Featherstun says. Here are some specific types of food to avoid: Anything fried You’d be hard-pressed to walk into a restaurant in the United States and not find a deep fryer. But if you’re on a cholesterol-lowering diet, take a pass on the greasy stuff. Not only does deep frying cause foods to lose water and suck up fat, making them more calorie dense, but the oils that foods are fried in are often high in trans fats, the worst offenders. If you can’t bear the thought of never eating another crunchy onion ring, consider using olive or sunflower oil when frying. In a study published in January 2012 in The BMJ, researchers in Spain, where olive and sunflower oils are used for frying, found that eating fried foods was not associated with increased rates of heart disease like it is in countries where saturated fats, like lard and butter, are used. Just be sure not to heat these oils past their smoke point — the temperature at which an oil starts to burn. Hydrogenated oil These trans fats are found in packaged foods such as cookies, pastries, mayonnaise, crackers, microwave popcorn, and frozen dinners, and they’re used because they increase a product’s shelf life. You can stay away from these high-cholesterol culprits by checking food labels carefully. “If a food contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, the nutrition label may still read ‘0 trans fat,’” Featherstun explains. “Instead, check the ingredients list,” she advises. “If you see the word ’hydrogenated,’ don’t buy it.” Meat Although the American Heart Association no longer cites dietary cholesterol as a concern for most people, the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University in Boston notes that if you have heart disease, have diabetes, or are a “hyper-responder” (a high amount of dietary cholesterol increases your blood cholesterol levels), it’s still important to limit the amount of cholesterol you get from food. Only foods of animal origin contain dietary cholesterol. Meat also tends to contain unhealthy saturated fats, which can increase bad cholesterol levels. Meat with visible fat or skin is a particularly unwise choice. Try to reduce the amount of meat in your diet. When you do eat meat, trim off any visible fat on steaks and chops, and always remove the skin from turkey and chicken, Featherstun says. Choosing lean cuts is also essential. When you have to satisfy a hamburger craving, choose the leanest ground meat possible, but bear in mind that even 90/10 ground beef still has 9.1 grams of fat and 3.6 grams of saturated fat in a cooked 3-ounce serving. Full-fat dairy products Many people don’t realize how much saturated fat they get from milk products such as full-fat ice cream, cheese, whole milk, and whole-fat yogurt. “Instead, choose dairy products that are fat-free, made with 2 percent milk, or part skim,” Featherstun says.
What to Eat: Foods That Lower Cholesterol
“There is great evidence to support ‘functional foods’ that help lower cholesterol,” Featherstun says. Add these choices to your diet: Plant stanols and sterols “These are naturally occurring compounds found in plant cell walls,” Featherstun says. “They interfere with cholesterol absorption in the small intestine and can help lower LDL cholesterol.” A study published in October 2012 in Lipids in Health and Disease found that eating 9 to 10 grams of stanols per day can help lower LDL cholesterol by more than 17 and as much as 22 percent. You can get plant stanols and sterols in margarine-like spreads such as Benecol and Smart Balance, available in the dairy section of most grocery stores. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats “These fats can help decrease LDL cholesterol,” Featherstun says. To get them, eat fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, trout, herring, or king mackerel, at least twice a week. Other good sources of unsaturated fats include chia seeds, avocados, almonds, walnuts, and olive oil. Soy foods “Soy proteins contain isoflavones and phytoestrogens, which block both cholesterol absorption and new cholesterol production,” Featherstun says. Good sources of soy protein include tofu, soy milk, and edamame. “Try to replace one daily animal protein item with a soy protein alternative,” Featherstun suggests. High-fiber foods “This indigestible part of a plant acts like a sponge and binds to cholesterol, helping to remove excess cholesterol that’s floating in the bloodstream,” says Sharon Zarabi, RD, a nutritionist and a private counselor for weight loss surgery patients at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. High-fiber foods that lower cholesterol include whole grains, such as 100 percent whole-wheat bread, oats, and barley; beans; dark, leafy green vegetables; and fruits with a tough skin. “Read nutrition labels closely and look for fiber content greater than 3 grams per serving,” she advises. “Aim for a total of 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day.” Spices Not only do spices help flavor foods, but some in particular are also a good part of a cholesterol-lowering diet. “Turmeric, red cayenne pepper, thyme oil, and ginger are all thought to stabilize fat in the cell membranes, leading to lower triglycerides, which play a role in cholesterol level as well," Zarabi says. By making these changes to your diet, you’ll be well on your way to better cholesterol levels and a healthier heart.
