It's possible that you already have it in your pantry!
About 38% of American adults have high cholesterol, which is concerning because high cholesterol raises your risk of heart disease and stroke, two of the most common causes of death in the United States. What's the good news? If your doctor has concluded that you have high cholesterol, you can take steps to lower it by changing your diet.According to Keith-Thomas Ayoob, RDN, associate clinical professor emeritus at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, what you consume can significantly impact your cholesterol levels. And, unlike cholesterol medicine, he claims that food has no potentially harmful side effects. So, what's the best cholesterol-lowering food? You might be shocked to discover that it's something you already have on hand.
How to use food to lower "bad" cholesterol.
There are two types of cholesterol: HDL, "good," and LDL, "bad," and clogs arteries. When it comes to changing your diet, the goal is to eat foods that will lower your LDL cholesterol while increasing your HDL cholesterol.
"Fiber is the most important item you can eat when it comes to decreasing your cholesterol," says Elise Harlow, MS, RD. "Think of fiber as a sponge that absorbs excess bad cholesterol and aids in its elimination by your body."
According to Cara Harb Street, a registered dietitian and owner of Street-Smart Nutrition, focusing on foods high in soluble fiber is a fantastic strategy. Soluble fiber has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in studies.
"Food transit time is slowed by soluble fiber, which dissolves in water, attracts, and absorbs water to produce a gel-like substance," she explains. "Oats, barley, beans, flax seeds, vegetables like brussels sprouts, and fruits like apples and oranges all contain soluble fiber. Soluble fiber binds to cholesterol in the blood before it can enter circulation because it is slowly digested. It can then eliminate the cholesterol from the body, lowering LDL cholesterol."
The best cholesterol-lowering meal is a pantry staple.
Experts claim black beans are the finest soluble fiber-rich food to eat if you want to keep your cholesterol under control. (They're also the ideal carb for losing weight because they're high in protein and fiber while low in fat.)
"You can use canned beans or prepare them from scratch—either way, works," Ayoob says. "Bonus—beans help to keep blood glucose levels in check."
A 3/4 cup of black beans has 5.4 grams of soluble fiber, 19% of the daily fiber requirement.
"Black beans are high in viscous, soluble fiber, which prevents cholesterol-rich bile acids from being reabsorbed in your stomach," says Dr Joan Salge Blake, RDN, a nutrition professor at Boston University and host of the award-winning nutrition and health podcast Spot On! the body can reabsorb the bile acids the body, the fiber 'grabs' them and excretes them together with the fiber in your faeces. Your body must then eliminate cholesterol from your blood for the liver to produce new bile acids. Your blood cholesterol levels have been reduced."
In addition to decreasing cholesterol, black beans are high in plant protein, according to Blake. You can cut down on the amount of animal protein you eat by cooking with them and cutting down on cholesterol-raising saturated fat. Blake suggests using more beans and less ground meat or fowl in your crockpot chilli to increase fiber and minimize saturated fat.
According to Blake, black beans are also high in potassium, a mineral that can help reduce high blood pressure, which is significant because high blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Picking up a can of black beans is, without a doubt, the best thing you can do for your body if you have high cholesterol. Are you stumped as to what to do with them? For breakfast, make a Vegetarian Black Bean Omelet, and for dinner, make some heart-healthy Black beans & Sweet Potato Tacos.
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