Food Selections Can Help Lower LDL or "Bad" Cholesterol

AUBURN, July 6---New cholesterol recommendations urge people to keep their cholesterol levels below 200 milligrams with HDL or "good" cholesterol levels above 40 milligrams. A new sliding scale has been set for LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels.

People with no other heart disease factors, should keep LDL cholesterol levels below 130 milligrams. People with one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure or low HDL cholesterol levels, should keep their LDL cholesterol levels below 100 milligrams.

So what are some ways to lower total cholesterol levels and especially LDL cholesterol levels? Selecting foods that keep the cholesterol in your blood low is a good start, says Dr. Barbara Struempler, Extension nutritionist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

Here are some easy ways to do that:

Use only nonfat or lowfat dairy products, including milk, yogurt and cheese. Regular dairy products, such as whole milk, butter, cheese, cream cheese and ricotta cheese, are high in saturated fat.

Limit the amount of saturated fat. No more than 5 percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fat. That's about 10 to11 grams a day for most people. One tablespoon of butter has 7 grams of saturated fat; a tablespoon of margarine has only 2 grams of saturated fat.

Avoid foods with added trans-fat. This fat comes from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils often found in fried foods and processed foods such as crackers, baked goods and desserts.

Base most of your meals on beans, vegetables, fruits and whole grains, with a minimum of low saturated fat foods from animal protein such as nonfat dairy, fish and egg whites.

Include soy protein in your diet in place of animal protein when possible. Studies show that 25 grams of soy protein per day can help lower cholesterol when part of a heart-healthy diet.

Limit intake of sugar and fructose. Doing so should lower triglycerides, aid weight loss and lower LDL cholesterol levels.

Eat foods naturally high in fiber, especially soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is found in legumes, fruits and root vegetables, as well as oats, barley and flax. For every 1 or 2 grams of soluble fiber you eat daily, you lower LDL cholesterol levels by 1 percent.

Here is a list of foods containing 2 grams or more of soluble fiber. Increasing these foods in your diet will help lower cholesterol.

1 cup barley, cooked

1 cup fresh broccoli

1 cup Brussels sprouts

1/2 cup apricots or figs

1 cup carrots

1 cup collard greens

1 cup cooked beans, peas or lentils

1 cup oat bran

1 cup oatmeal, cooked

1 cup rye cereal, cooked

1 large sweet potato

6 prunes

SOURCE: Dr. Barbara Struempler, Extension Nutritionist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334) 844-2217