10 Superfoods That Lower Bad Cholesterol

Good thing, Mother Nature has gifted us with so many super foods that can scour like a good reliable scrub the bad cholesterol that builds into thick and hard plaques in our artery walls.

These plaques can become a little stubborn, slowing down, and even stopping the flow of much-needed blood into our hardworking hearts.

When plaques do this, blood clots form, resulting in nasty heart attacks.

Along with eating super foods that lower cholesterol levels, experts have recommended a complete shift to a healthy diet, and an active lifestyle.

This is because high cholesterol levels have been found to be largely linked to unhealthy ways of living.

Below is a list of ten of nature’s super foods for lowering bad cholesterol that one can easily incorporate into his or her diet.

1. Fruits

Absolutely free of bad cholesterol, fruits prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins cholesterol, or bad cholesterol for you and me.

Also, fruits are packed with fiber and water, which have been proven time and again to help the heart stay healthy, the body become lean, and cholesterol to hover at good levels.

To make fruits fight bad cholesterol, eat them raw, not in juice forms, and in some instances, with the skin included.

Most processed fruits or fruits extracted in juice forms have considerably reduced, or zero fibers.

2. Beans, Lentils, and other Legumes

Rich in fiber, and low in both calories, and saturated fats, beans, lentils, and other kinds of legumes can drive down bad cholesterol levels so quick you won’t believe it.

Legumes have been proven to work wonders in weeks.

To make legumes work miracles for you, try using them in salads, snacks, soups, dips, casseroles, and viands three times a week.

If legumes are too bland for your taste, then try marinating them, or mixing them with other tasty ingredients.

Legumes are pretty versatile. They soak up the flavors of ingredients cooked with them.

3. Chlorella

An able cleanser for our body is chlorella, a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids that flushes out bad cholesterol through the small intestines, and eventually out of the body in the form of stool.

A no-stress way to add chlorella into our diet is by mixing its powder form in drinks, desserts, and other kinds of food.

One can also take the tablet form of chlorella.

4. Dark Chocolates

Good news for chocolate lovers!

Dark chocolates, with all its heavenly flavors, have flavonoids that can pull down bad cholesterol.

It also has properties that can put off coronary heart diseases.

As you might know, flavonoids are the same agents in heart-friendly red wine.

Unlike other kinds of chocolate though, dark chocolates are free of milk and creams, ingredients that can pump up bad cholesterol in the body.

Also, dark chocolates have more flavonoids than most other kinds of chocolate out in the market today.

5. Egg White

Crack an egg today for breakfast, and feel no guilt!

The white parts of eggs, or simply egg whites have been found to lower cholesterol levels.

To fold egg whites into your diet, substitute two parts egg whites for one whole egg in your baked goodies.

Believe it or not, the difference in taste would not be that much.

6. Flaxseed

Commonly used as a laxative, flaxseed is chockfull of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and lignans, beneficial properties that can reduce total, and bad cholesterol levels.

Because it is such an effective cholesterol controller, flaxseed has been popular among people with heart diseases for so many generations now.

Add flaxseed into your diet by sprinkling it into smoothies and baked goods, or substituting it for butter and/or margarine.

7. Leafy Green Vegetables

The best-ever substitute for commercial foods overloaded with saturated fats are vegetables, particularly the leafy green ones that you can grow in your plant pots or backyards.

This is because leafy green vegetables are extremely low in both saturated and total fats.

All of them also do not have a tinge of cholesterol.

To add to that, vegetables help prevent formations of plaque in artery walls.

So start substituting those fatty meals on your plate with spinach, kale, broccoli, and other vegetables in your garden.

8. Low-Fat Milk

Plant sterols, which have been found to reduce bad cholesterol, abound in low-fat milk.

Just fill your cup with low-fat milk two to three times daily, and watch your bad cholesterol wash away from your system.

A cup of low-fat milk is equivalent to eating a bowl of healthy grains or drinking a cup of chocolate.

9. Tofu

Tofu has been eaten in Asia for thousands of years for some good reasons.

It is packed with healthful benefits!

One of its multiple benefits is that it can prevent blood clotting by keeping bad and total cholesterol in check.

The soy protein in tofu is largely the reason for tofu’s health wonders.

To enjoy tofu, use it in smoothies, salads, and viands. You can grill, marinate, or deep-fry tofu.

Really, the options for preparing it are literally endless.

10. Virgin Coconut Oil

Lauric acid in virgin coconut oil makes this oil arguably the healthiest in the world.

The same compounds that can be found in superbly healthful breast milk, lauric acid fights bad cholesterol, while increasing its good counterpart.

Easily, people with high cholesterol can take about 3.5 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil every day.

Alternatively, they can use virgin coconut oil whenever they are preparing their meals.

Virgin coconut oil has been a favorite super food for lowering bad cholesterol among millions of people in Asia, South America, and Africa.

About Author:

Terry Stone is a senior editor and academic writer from buy essay papers company. He likes to read books about health, business, movie, fitness, beauty, and fashion.