Patient education: Can foods or supplements lower cholesterol? (The Basics)

Can I lower my cholesterol by changing my diet? — Maybe. Some people can lower their cholesterol by changing their diet. But this does not always work. Still, you can improve your overall health by eating better.

If you have high cholesterol, it might help to avoid or limit saturated fats. These are found in foods like:

●Red meat

●Butter

●Fried foods

●Cheese

●Baked goods, such as cookies, cakes, or brownies

Other things that might help lower cholesterol include:

●Eating more soluble fiber – Soluble fiber is found in fruits, oats, barley, beans, and peas.

●A vegetarian or vegan diet – A vegetarian diet contains no meat. A vegan diet contains no animal products at all, including meat, eggs, or milk.

●Replacing meat with soy sometimes – Soy-based products include tofu and tempeh.

In general, you can improve your health by eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You can also cut back on carbohydrates, sweets, and processed foods.

Eating a "Mediterranean diet" might help lower your cholesterol. This type of diet:

●Includes a lot of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains

●Uses olive oil instead of other fats

●Includes some fish, poultry, and dairy products, but not a lot of red meat

What about eggs? — Eggs are OK if you want to eat them, but don't overdo it. The news often has stories about the health benefits or risks of eggs. The truth is, eggs are a good source of protein and do not raise cholesterol much. Saturated fats raise cholesterol levels more than eggs do.

Are there specific foods that can lower my cholesterol? — Maybe. There are some foods that seem to help lower cholesterol, including:

●Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids – Studies show that people who eat lots of these foods are less likely to have heart disease than those who eat less of them. Examples include oily fish (such as salmon, herring, or tuna), olive oil, and canola oil. It's fine to eat 1 to 2 servings of oily fish a week.

●Nuts – Some studies show that eating certain nuts can help lower cholesterol. They might even lower the risk of heart attack or death. These nuts include walnuts, almonds, and pistachios.

●Fiber-rich foods – These foods seem to lower cholesterol and are generally good for your health. Examples include fruits, vegetables, beans, and oats. Some doctors even recommend taking fiber supplements.

What about designer foods that claim to lower cholesterol? — Be careful with these foods. There are now many foods that have added plant extracts called "sterols" or "stanols." Examples include special margarines such as Benecol. Foods with added sterols or stanols can lower cholesterol. But it's not clear whether they help lower the risk of heart attack or stroke, or if they are safe to use long-term. Plus, research in animals shows that these extracts might actually cause health problems. Experts think more research is needed before they can recommend that people eat these foods.

Should I take supplements to lower my cholesterol? — Maybe. Some research has shown that certain supplements can lower cholesterol. But there is almost no research showing that supplements can help prevent heart attacks, strokes, or any of the problems caused by high cholesterol. If you decide to try supplements, keep in mind that in the US, the government does not regulate supplements very well. That means that what's on a supplement's label is not always actually in the bottle.

Here are some supplements that might help with cholesterol:

●Red yeast rice – Red yeast rice helps lower cholesterol. It might contain monacolin K, which is the same ingredient that is in a prescription medicine to lower cholesterol. But the supplements that you can buy might not always have much monacolin K. If you are interested in taking red yeast rice, talk to your doctor to see if the prescription medicine is a better choice.

●Omega-3 fatty acid supplements – Some omega-3 fatty acid supplements might help lower cholesterol, but they might also raise it.

What supplements don't work? — There is no good evidence that calcium, garlic, coconut oil, coconut water, resveratrol, policosanol, or soy isoflavone supplements lower cholesterol.

More on this topic

Patient education: Diet and health (The Basics)
Patient education: High cholesterol (The Basics)
Patient education: High-fiber diet (The Basics)
Patient education: Coronary artery disease (The Basics)
Patient education: Vitamin supplements (The Basics)
Patient education: Vegetarian diet (The Basics)

Patient education: Diet and health (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: High cholesterol and lipids (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: High cholesterol and lipid treatment options (Beyond the Basics)