Diets to Lower Cholesterol
Regardless of the reasons for your high cholesterol, your physician is likely to prescribe a cholesterol lowering diet as the first line of offense. Many who diligently follow a cholesterol lowering diet are able to lower cholesterol levels to acceptable limits and avoid the necessity of taking prescription medication. Unfortunately, even if you are placed on cholesterol lowering medication, your doctor will still very likely prescribe dietary changes as cholesterol-lowering drugs are considerable more effective when combined with the proper diet.
The specific diet for you will be one which is prescribed by your doctor. While most of us resent the idea of not always being able to eat what we want, it is very important to understand from the outset that adhering to a a cholesterol lowering diet may well save or prolong your life. While there is some degree of flexibility to most diets, there are a few general guidelines of what one should and should not be eating in order to make a positive change in cholesterol levels.
There are likely a number of foods that you frequently enjoy which will need to be severely curtailed (if not eliminated completely) in a diet designed to lower cholesterol levels. Foods high in saturated fats are at the top of the list of foods which will tend to negatively affect cholesterol levels. Among specific items high in saturated fats are animal products such as red meat and dairy products and foods processed with hydrogenated vegetable oils and trans-fats. Most commercially processed foods such as cookies, cakes, potato chips, "fast food", and margarine fall into this latter category and are to be avoided.
So - what can you eat? Foods that you want in your low cholesterol diet are "whole foods" that are rich in soluble fibers such as fruits, vegetables, oats, and barley. Other foods that can help with in lowering your cholesterol are those rich in omega 3 found in certain fish and some nuts. Foods packed with plant sterols are also a good addition to your low cholesterol diet; many foods such as some margarine spreads, some salad dressings and orange juice are now fortified with it. It becomes more important now than ever to learn to carefully read and understand food labels.
