The 10 best cholesterol-lowering foods

There’s evidence to show that following a heart-healthy diet can improve your blood cholesterol and heart health. Listed below are some of the best foods to lower your cholesterol.

Starting your day with a bowl of oats is a great way to lower cholesterol. Whole grain foods such as oats and barley can reduce your risk of heart disease as they are high in beta glucan.

Beta glucan is a type of soluble fibre which forms a gel-like substance in the gut. This binds to dietary cholesterol, and removes it as waste instead of reabsorbing it. As a result more cholesterol is removed, which helps lower blood cholesterol levels.

How much you need

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommended eating at least 3g of oat beta-glucan per day.

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To help you reach the recommended daily intake of beta-glucan, try including the following foods regularly in your meals:

• 30g of porridge oats
• A 30-35g bowl of oat-based breakfast cereals
• 75g cooked or 25-30g raw pearl barley

Flavoured oat products usually contain added salt or sugar. Make sure to choose products that contain 100% oats, such as rolled oats, as they're closest to how they are found naturally.”

Silvia Fonda Nutritionist

Oily fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which improve your cholesterol profile by reducing triglycerides, lowering LDL cholesterol, and boosting HDL cholesterol levels. Our bodies cannot make omega-3s, which means that we need to get these from our diet.

How much you need

The NHS recommends eating at least 2 portions of fish each week to promote overall heart health. One of these should be an oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, or sardines.

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Other types of fish to include in your diet include tuna, trout, and herring. Try adding a can of tuna to salads, sandwiches or wraps. Alternatively, you can replace meat with fish in your meals.

Cooking tip :

• Fish is simple and easy to prepare. Simply bake fish in foil with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and your choice of herbs for a flavourful and easy meal.

Nuts contain healthy unsaturated fats and fibre, which can help to lower cholesterol. Regularly consuming tree nuts (e.g. walnuts, pistachios, almonds) have been shown to lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.

How much you need

Aim for 30 grams (1/4 cup) of nuts daily, or one small handful. Eating a variety of nuts, such as macadamias, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, and Brazil nuts is best as they contain different levels of healthy fats.

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Here are 3 helpful ways you can include nuts in your diet:

• Sprinkle chopped nuts over porridge, yoghurt or smoothie bowls for added crunch and nutrition.
• Toss nuts into salads, stir-fries or pasta dishes to enhance flavour, texture and healthy fat content.
• Pack a handful of nuts alongside your lunch for a quick and healthy snack.

Pro tip :

• Choose nuts in their natural form, with their skin on as these contain more nutrients. Avoid eating a lot of salted, flavoured, or roasted nuts.

Legumes are high in soluble fibre, low in saturated fat, and are a good plant-based protein source. Including legumes regularly in your diet can help to lower your 'bad' LDL cholesterol.

How much you need

It is recommended to eat at least four servings of beans, peas or lentils a week to lower cholesterol and improve heart health in the long run. One serving is around 120-140g when cooked.

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Canned beans, lentils, or chickpeas are great for a quick and easy option. Make sure to rinse and drain the brine before adding them to your salads, casseroles, bolognese and other tasty dishes.

Avocados contain heart-healthy mono and poly-unsaturated fats. Research shows that avocados help to increase the levels of 'good' HDL-cholesterol in the blood, creating a positive impact on heart health.

How much you need

Eating at least two servings (one avocado) each week can reduce the risk of developing heart disease by 21%. While avocados are both tasty and healthy, sticking to a daily intake of one avocado is generally considered healthy.

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Avocados are easy to incorporate into your weekly meals. For breakfast, consider smashed avocado on wholegrain toast, topped with a poached egg or cherry tomatoes. Avocados can also be added to salads, smoothies, grain bowls or wraps for a creamy texture.

Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which helps lower LDL cholesterol. The health benefits of olive oil also come from its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Extra-virgin olive oil contains more of the natural compounds called phenols, which are mostly lost in regular processed olive oils. Phenols may offer even more antioxidant benefits.

How much you need

The recommended daily intake of olive oil for health benefits is usually between 1 to 4 tablespoons. It’s important to measure how much olive oil you use when cooking, as it's easy to be heavy handed.

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Try replacing butter or margarine with extra-virgin olive oil when roasting vegetables. It can even be used as a simple salad dressing, a dip for bread or drizzled over dishes for added flavour.

Fruits such as apples, grapes, strawberries, and citrus fruits are rich in pectin. Pectin is a type of soluble fiber that lowers LDL cholesterol by interfering with cholesterol and bile acid absorption in the body.

How much you need

The World Health Organization recommends consuming at least 400g, or five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. This can include a mix of at least two servings of fruit and two servings of vegetables to help meet your daily target. For example, 1 medium apple, 1 slice of papaya, 1 banana.

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Fruits are a great snack to include in your diet. Berries are great toppings for porridge, yoghurt, smoothie bowls, or overnight oats. Whereas, apples or grapes are an easy snack and can also be added to salads for a touch of sweetness.

Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables are nutrient-dense, low in calories, and high in soluble fibre, which helps reduce cholesterol absorption. Eating a variety of colourful vegetables each day can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.

How much you need

You should aim to eat at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables each day. An adult portion of vegetables is 80g.

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Include a range of cholesterol-lowering vegetables in your diet. This includes vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, okra, aubergine, and leafy greens. Try steaming or roasting these vegetables as side dishes, tossing them into stir-fries, or blending them into soups and sauces.

I love roasting vegetables with olive oil and garlic, it’s an easy way to add flavour to my meals. I also like blending spinach into my smoothies for a simple nutrient boost you can’t even taste!

Silvia Fonda Nutritionist

Intact whole grains are unrefined and close to their natural state. They’re packed full of nutrients including fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Compared to refined carbs, whole grains are a better choice for supporting health cholesterol levels.

How much you need

Aim for at least three servings of whole grain foods per day for heart health. One serving could be 1 slice of whole-grain bread, ½ cup cooked brown rice, or 3 cups of popped popcorn.

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Try to replace refined grains with whole grains and high-fibre products. Refer to our table below for some easy swaps you can make:

Soya foods are naturally low in saturated fat, and are a good source of fibre. The protein structure of soya up-regulates LDL cholesterol receptors in the liver, so more cholesterol is removed from the body.

How much you need

Studies show that consuming 25 grams of soy protein a day can lower LDL cholesterol by 3-4% in adults. Aim for around 15g to 25g of soya protein daily.

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Soya products such as tofu, tempeh, soy milk, and edamame are versatile and can easily replace other foods in your diet. For example, try using soy milk in your morning cereal or coffee, adding tofu to stir-fries, or snacking on edamame.

Soya products are a fantastic plant-based source of protein that also support muscle health. Soya beans provide a mixture of important fibres, vitamins and minerals.

Silvia Fonda Nutritionist

Making your diet more cholesterol-friendly starts by making small, consistent changes. Here are a few practical tips to help with the change:

• Read food labels: Pay attention to the content of saturated fats, trans fats, and added sugars.
• Cook at home more: This gives you more control over the ingredients you use and the portion sizes.
• Combine cholesterol-lowering foods: Foods like oats, legumes, nuts, olive oil, and avocados work best when eaten together.

How to incorporate these foods into your diet

Below is a sample meal plan to help you incorporate these cholesterol-lowering foods into your daily routine.

Key focus

• Omega-3 rich foods
• High fiber
• Lean proteins
• Limited saturated fats

It is important to understand the difference between foods that help lower cholesterol and those that raise it. The table below highlights some common examples to guide your diet.

After incorporating cholesterol-lowering foods into your diet, you may experience improvements in blood cholesterol levels in 6 or more weeks. However, this can vary depending on your overall diet, lifestyle and other medical conditions you have.

Some studies have shown that dietary changes alone may reduce LDL cholesterol by around 5–10%. For the best results, stay consistent by changing your diet to include a variety of cholesterol-lowering foods and avoiding high-saturated fat or processed meals.

It’s important to have regular check ups with your doctor in order to monitor your serum cholesterol levels regularly. Blood tests can show you how your body is responding to lifestyle or treatment changes, allowing your healthcare provider to determine the next steps.

Dr. Caroline Fontana Lead Prescribing Doctor

Diet and medication work together to support healthy cholesterol levels. Make sure to discuss any changes you plan to make to your diet with your doctor. Also, remember that some foods can help lower cholesterol however, they should support, not replace, any medicines your doctor prescribes.

Eating more fibre-rich foods, healthy fats, and plant-based proteins can help enhance the effectiveness of statins like simvastatin, atorvastatin, and fluvastatin.

To support healthy cholesterol levels, it’s important to limit or avoid foods that can raise cholesterol levels. Here are some foods to cut back on and their replacements:

• Butter → Olive oil
• Processed meats → Grilled chicken, turkey or legumes
• Full fat cheese → Reduced fat cheese or plant-based alternatives
• Fried foods → Grilled, baked or air-fried options

Certain foods, especially grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interfere with how statins work. This interaction can increase the risk of side effects, especially with medications like simvastatin. Always follow your doctor’s advice when making dietary changes.

High cholesterol often shows no symptoms, so many people don’t realise they have it until it’s too late. This is why regular blood tests are important, as they are the only reliable way to check your cholesterol levels.

Most healthy adults should have their cholesterol checked every 4 to 6 years. However, people with risk factors (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, family history) need to get their cholesterol checked more often. If it has been a while since your last cholesterol check, or if you have risk factors, it may be worth seeing your doctor.

At euroClinix, we offer free online consultations from the comfort of home.

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