Cholesterol may be a health concern for many, but did you know that it is possible to keep cholesterol levels in check by merely following a proper diet and some essential nutritional tips? Cholesterol can be good or bad; the bad cholesterol or LDL levels, when oxidized, are linked to a higher incidence of strokes, heart attacks, and heart diseases.

Top 10 tips to lower cholesterol

• One of the easiest ways to control cholesterol is to make sure you consume less dietary cholesterol or cut down on cholesterol-rich foods like liver, organ meats, shrimp, egg yolk, and whole dairy foods.
• Another important advice is to increase your daily intake of soluble fiber. This prevents the absorption of cholesterol by the digestive tract. Such foods include whole-grain cereals like oat bran and oatmeal, fruits like oranges and apples, legumes like beans and chickpeas, lima beans, and black-eyed peas.
• Eating more fruits and fresh vegetables should be one of the tips to lower cholesterol with food because a diet filled with these will provide cholesterol-lowering compounds for your body. Such compounds are called sterols, and they act like soluble fiber.
• Cooking with more spices and herbs can be useful as these are rich in minerals and vitamins. Turmeric, ginger, or garlic are very useful for lowering cholesterol levels. The spices are rich in antioxidants that eliminate free radicals from the body.
• Avoid trans fats. These are present in hydrogenated oils and are best avoided when looking for practical tips to lower cholesterol with food. Fats are saturated or unsaturated, and you should try and replace saturated ones with the unsaturated fats to lower your cholesterol levels. Foods like fatty fish, avocados, and nuts can be heart-healthy fats, and when you have high cholesterol, you should try to add these to your meals.
• Cutting down salt intake is beneficial because excess sodium is damaging for people suffering from high blood pressure. While less salt does not directly bring down cholesterol levels, it can prevent risks of cardiovascular problems. So, it is best to opt for low-salt options when you are choosing seasonings and dressings.
• It would be best if you cut down on alcohol consumption also as this contributes to unwanted weight gain that, in turn, elevates bad cholesterol in the blood.
• It is recommended that people with high cholesterol limit sugar intake and stay away from foods containing added sugar.
• Including more soy-based foods in your diet can help reduce cholesterol levels. These are rich in proteins and have isoflavones that are like estrogen. Studies show that isoflavones and soy proteins offer strong cholesterol-lowering features and can prevent heart problems. It is best to choose soy milk and soybeans as these are the least processed forms of soy proteins.
• Drinking green tea can help you cut down cholesterol. This tea is made by drying the Camellia sinensis leaves, and reports suggest that when you drink this tea for two weeks at a stretch, your total cholesterol count will come down. The tea reduces the liver’s release of LDL and boosts its elimination from the blood.