Good choices for a low cholesterol diet include lean meats, whole grains, and vegetables. As this eMedTV page explains, the goals of a diet low in cholesterol are to eat more plant-based foods, cut back on animal protein, and reduce certain fats.
Animal products, such as organ meat, eggs, cheese, and whole milk, are high cholesterol foods. This eMedTV page provides other examples of this type of food, and also discusses plant-based foods containing saturated fat and trans fat.
This page of the eMedTV Web site offers suggestions for incorporating low cholesterol food into a healthy diet. The best choices are cholesterol-free foods, including plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Cholesterol free foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, can lower your risk for heart disease. This eMedTV article lists cholesterol free foods and offers tips for incorporating such foods into a healthy diet.
While scientists have not yet found foods that raise HDL levels consistently, as this eMedTV segment explains, there are foods that are proven to lower LDL cholesterol and decrease the risk for heart disease, such as walnuts, garlic, and fatty fish.
This eMedTV article explores the possible link between cinnamon and cholesterol. There have not yet been enough studies to determine if this spice actually lowers cholesterol; the studies that have been published show conflicting results.
This eMedTV segment details the relationship between alcohol and high cholesterol. In most cases, moderate amounts of alcohol are okay for someone with high cholesterol, but mixing alcohol and high cholesterol medication may increase side effects.
Despite the many benefits associated with it, using fish oil to increase HDL is not effective. This eMedTV resource discusses the benefits that fish oil does offer and includes tips on how you can increase HDL levels through lifestyle changes.
