-Eating to Reduce Cholesterol

More than half of Americans have high cholesterol, which puts them at-risk for heart disease. The National Heart Lung & Blood Institute recommends a total cholesterol level under 200 mg/dl, with a LDL (bad cholesterol) under 130 and an HDL (good cholesterol) over 35. By lowering cholesterol, the risk of a fatal or disabling heart attack can be reduced up to 40 percent.

The best way to lower cholesterol is to earn it through diet, exercise and weight loss. No more than 30 percent of daily calories should come from fats, with saturated fats less than 10 percent and cholesterol under 300 milligrams a day, a little more than the amount in an egg yolk.

For those who have existing heart problems or who are at high risk, it is recommended to limit cholesterol to 200 milligrams a day and saturated fats to seven percent of calories. Accomplishing this means avoiding red meats, butter and cream and choosing low-fat or skim milk dairy products.

If regular exercise and diet still do not reduce cholesterol levels but your levels are not high enough to warrant the use of cholesterol reducing drugs (which have some negative side effects), there are additional food products that may also help reduce cholesterol.

Increasing the amount of fiber in a diet may not only reduce cholesterol, but also helps reduce weight and strengthen the heart and cardiovascular system. Fiber-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.

Soluble fiber is particularly good for cholesterol reduction. The fiber found in beans, apples, berries and many other fruits, is soluble. Soluble fiber is believed to soaks up bile in the intestines, stimulating the liver to produce more bile. This in turn breaks down much of the available cholesterol in the blood stream. Cereal or bread made of oat bran or the husks of psyllium seed offers another form of soluble fiber which may reduce cholesterol.

In a small study, subjects ate cookies made of either oat bran, psyllium or wheat bran for eight weeks. Those eating oat bran cookies reduced their LDL levels by an average of 26 percent compared to 8 percent for those eating wheat bran cookies. Oat bran cereals are readily available and psyllium powder (found in health food stores or in Metamucil) can be added to fruit juices or milk.

Soy protein found in tofu and other soy products also has an effect on serum cholesterol. In one study, subjects who consumed 40 grams of soy protein a day for six months lowered their LDL cholesterol by 8 to 12 percent. Soy also contains isoflavines that are similar to estrogen and are believed to contribute to the cholesterol-lowering effect.

Benecol, a margarine designed to lower cholesterol was recently approved to sell in the United States. Benecol contains plant sterols that seem to block cholesterol receptors in the intestine for a short time.

Garlic and olive oil have also been cited as possible cholesterol reducing foods.

In addition, the herbal supplement cholestin, made from red rice yeast, which has been used in China as a medicine and a marinade, has been shown to reduce cholesterol. Cholestin has an ingredient similar to lovastatin, which is found in Mevacor, a cholesterol reducing drug available only by prescription, so there are potential side effects.

Niacin also reduces cholesterol in high doses, but also has side effects. Because of potential side effects, cholestin and niacin should only be used under medical supervision.