Cholesterol is a fat that is produced by the liver, and it is in every cell in the human body. Cholesterol must be present for a person to be healthy. Good cholesterol, also known as HDL, can prevent cardiovascular disease. When LDL, or bad cholesterol, levels are too high, the individual is at increased risk of developing heart disease. Diet can play a part of lowering cholesterol levels to an acceptable range. Foods that will lower cholesterol levels include the following: Walnuts and Almonds Eating nuts will help to lower cholesterol levels. Keep an eye on portions, though. These foods a...

What you choose to eat can play a part in lowering your cholesterol levels. Here are four cholesterol-reducing foods you should be eating: 1. Fish contains Omega-3 fatty acids that help to lower cholesterol levels. If you can’t or don’t want to eat two servings of mackerel, herring, sardines, albacore tuna or salmon, you can get the benefits from taking Omega-3 supplements. 2. Oatmeal has soluble fiber, which helps to reduce the low-density cholesterol in the body. You can get the same health benefits by including apples, pears, prunes and kidney beans. 3. Walnuts and almonds co...

If you want to lower your risk of heart disease, make sure that you include these items in your heart diet. Fruit Vegetables Whole Grains Nuts Tea It’s easy to increase your consumption of fruits and veggies. Make a point of adding a side salad at lunch or dinner more often. If you have a choice between drinking orange juice or eating an orange, go for the whole fruit. You add valuable fiber to your diet and get a serving of Vitamin C as well. Look for whole grains in cereals, breads, and pastas, and eat them whenever possible. As long as you don’t have any issues with nut alle...

Blueberries not only taste good, but including them in your diet plan can help to lower your levels of LDL cholesterol, which is commonly called “bad” cholesterol. Research conducted on pigs has found that when the animals consumed the equivalent of two, one-cup servings of blueberries daily, their cholesterol levels decreased. Pigs are used for research purposes because they have similar health issues as humans. Their heart rate and blood pressure are comparable, and they also develop artery-blocking plaque. Like us, their risk of cardiovascular issues is related to diet. Addin...

If you have been diagnosed with heart disease, you will need to make some lifestyle changes to get and stay healthy. Doing so needs a two-pronged approach. Not only do you need to take steps to get your blood pressure lowered, but you also need to address your cholesterol issues. Blood Pressure and Heart Disease A normal blood pressure reading has a systolic reading of 120 or less. (The systolic number is the top one.) If that number is 140 or higher, then the person has high blood pressure. If the reading is between 120 and 140, then it is called “prehypertension” and is something...

Scientists at the Lawson Health Research Institute in London, Ontario, have found that people who have hemochromatosis, a disorder where they have too much iron in their blood, have lower levels of bad cholesterol in their system. As you probably know, having a high level of LDL cholesterol, which is considered to be the “bad” type, has been identified as a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The study was conducted with 100,000 participants across North America. The researchers are quick to point out that more work needs to be done to determine if the lower cholesterol le...

You may be trying to eat well, but it can be challenging to get all the nutrients your body needs to stay heart healthy from diet alone. There is a place for dietary supplements for the heart in your overall eating plan. Start by taking a multi-vitamin daily. You may be curious about using herbal remedies to help you get and stay healthy, but do educate yourself about these products before you decide to use them. Tell your doctor what (and how much) you are taking the next time you go for a visit; this is information that he or she needs to know. Believe it or not, if you have high chole...

You do have the power to get your cholesterol numbers down, and putting these 5 tips for lowering your cholesterol into practice will help. 1. Eat less red meat. Instead of picking up a lot of beef when you go to the grocery store, choose chicken or fish more often. Both of these two choices have less fat than beef and can be prepared in a number of tasty ways. 2. Cut back on saturated fat as much as possible. What does this mean in practical terms? Well, you will need to switch to low-fat or skim milk, for starters. When you buy cheese, look for "light" versions as often as possi...