Another type, HDL , is sometimes called the "good" cholesterol. It carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver.

Then your liver removes the cholesterol from your body. The treatments for high cholesterol are heart-healthy lifestyle changes and medicines. The lifestyle changes include healthy eating, weight management, and regular physical activity. Heart-healthy lifestyle changes include a diet to lower your cholesterol.

The DASH eating plan is one example. Another is the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet, which recommends that you. Choose healthier fats. You should limit both total fat and saturated fat. Depending upon how many calories you eat per day, here are the maximum amounts of fats that you should eat:.

Saturated fat is a bad fat because it raises your LDL bad cholesterol level more than anything else in your diet.

It is found in some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods, and deep-fried and processed foods. Trans fat is another bad fat; it can raise your LDL and lower you HDL good cholesterol. Trans fat is mostly in foods made with hydrogenated oils and fats, such as stick margarine, crackers, and french fries.

Instead of these bad fats, try healthier fats, such as lean meat, nuts, and unsaturated oils like canola, olive, and safflower oils. Limit foods with cholesterol. If you are trying to lower your cholesterol, you should have less than mg a day of cholesterol.

Cholesterol is in foods of animal origin, such as liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, shrimp, and whole milk dairy products. Eat plenty of soluble fiber. Foods high in soluble fiber help prevent your digestive tract from absorbing cholesterol. These foods include:. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.

A comprehensive review of hass avocado clinical trials, observational studies, and biological mechanisms. Effect of flaxseed supplementation on lipid profile: An updated systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of sixty-two randomized controlled trials.

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By Jillian Kubala, RD. Jillian Kubala, RD. Jillian Kubala, MS, is a registered dietitian based in Westhampton, NY. Jillian uses a unique and personalized approach to help her clients achieve optimal wellness through nutrition and lifestyle changes.

In addition to her private practice, Jillian works as a freelance writer and editor and has written hundreds of articles on nutrition and wellness for top digital health publishers. health's editorial guidelines. Medically reviewed by Jamie Johnson, RDN. Making these three important dietary changes daily are important for successfully following the TLC Diet to treat and lower LDL cholesterol.

While the TLC Diet means eating well for good heart health, it also means learning how to eat well — in other words, how to best prepare or cook foods so that they are heart-healthy.

The TLC diet recommends limiting serving sizes or replacing foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol with healthier options. Fruits, vegetables, legumes beans and lentils , nuts, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy products, fish, poultry without the skin, and in moderate amounts, lean meats are good options.

Salt-free spices and herbs can make your heart-healthy meals tasty. Lack of physical activity is a major risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior can help with managing weight and, in that way, help lower LDL cholesterol.

It also can help raise HDL cholesterol and lower triglycerides , improve the fitness of the heart and lungs, and lower high blood pressure. Additionally, it can reduce risks for developing diabetes or, if already present, lessen the need for insulin.

Healthcare providers are important partners while treating high cholesterol. The better the communication with healthcare providers, the better the understanding about the treatment and how best to carry it out.

This rule also applies to other health professionals who may join the treatment team. Here are some pointers on how to make the partnership work well:.

Overweight and obesity increase the chances for having high LDL cholesterol and developing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, and other serious health problems.

Excess weight around the waist also more likely leads to developing metabolic syndrome. Losing any extra weight reduces these risks and improves cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Diet changes and increasing physical activity can get LDL cholesterol and weight under control.

At the start of the TLC Program, the main focus will be on lowering LDL cholesterol toward the goal level by making changes such as reducing saturated fat and calories and increasing fiber, which could also help with weight loss. Making lifestyle changes is never easy, but adopting the TLC Program can help people live healthier, longer lives by lowering cholesterol and other risk factors and reducing the risk for heart disease.

Some tips to increase chances for success include:. Discuss plans with family and friends to get support. The TLC Program can be easy for the whole family to follow. Everyone can eat the same meals and have fun with physical activity.

The TLC Program is a new way of living, not simply a quick fix. Making it a lifestyle will help reach the goal of a lifetime of heart health.

A review demonstrated the link between fiber intake and a reduction in blood fat levels and blood pressure. Including more fiber in the diet can help lower levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.

Kale is also very rich in antioxidants, which are good for the heart and help reduce inflammation. The AHA recommends reducing the amount of saturated and trans fats in the diet to lower cholesterol and heart disease risk. To reduce levels of LDL cholesterol, limit the intake of the following foods which contain high levels of saturated and trans fats:.

According to the AHA , the fastest way to lower cholesterol through dietary intervention is to reduce intake of saturated fats and heavily processed foods while increasing fiber intake.

The best way to reduce cholesterol is to eat a diet rich in high fiber, whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. Bananas are rich in soluble fiber and potassium. Both of these can have a positive effect on increasing digestive transit time, lowering cholesterol, and reducing blood pressure, when eaten as part of a healthy diet.

While ensuring adequate hydration is essential to overall health, cholesterol is not a water-soluble fat, and drinking large amounts of water will not lower cholesterol. Maintaining low LDL cholesterol levels is important, as it decreases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

A person can do this by following a healthy diet that includes high fiber fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fatty fish, unprocessed soy, and the occasional dark chocolate treat. It is also important to limit the intake of foods high in saturated fat, as these can increase LDL cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease, stroke, and obesity.

There are many types of drinks that can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Find out more about these and other ways of reducing cholesterol. Eating a healthy diet is one way to keep cholesterol levels in check. Learn which foods to avoid and which to prioritize to maintain healthy….

HDL is the "good" kind of cholesterol. Find out how much HDL is healthy and how to raise your HDL levels using food, medications, and behavioral….

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Medically reviewed by Marie Lorraine Johnson MS, RD, CPT — By Lois Zoppi — Updated on November 29, Foods to eat.

Foods to avoid. Frequently asked questions. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles.

You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Share this article. Include legumes or pulses such as chickpeas, lentils, split peas , beans such as haricot beans, kidney beans, baked beans , bean mixes in at least two meals a week.

Check food labels and choose the lowest sodium salt products. Beans make a great alternative to meat in tacos, or snack on hummus with vegetable sticks. You can also add legumes to soups, pasta sauces, curries and stews.

Use tofu or lentils instead of meat in stir fries or curries. Choose wholegrain breads, cereals, pasta, rice and noodles.

Snack on plain, unsalted nuts and fresh fruit ideally two serves of fruit every day. Use avocado, nut butters, tahini or spreads made from healthy unsaturated fats such as canola, sunflower or extra virgin olive oil instead of those made with saturated fat such as butter, coconut oil and cream.

Use healthy oils for cooking — some include canola, sunflower, soybean, olive extra virgin is a good choice , sesame and peanut oils. For people at high risk of heart disease, the Heart Foundation recommends people eat grams of plant sterol-enriched foods every day for example, plant sterol-enriched margarine, yoghurt, milk and cereals.

Enjoy fish two to three times a week grams fresh or g tinned. However, a maximum of seven eggs each week is recommended for people with high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Select lean meat meat trimmed of fat, and poultry without skin and limit unprocessed red meat to less than g per week.

Choose unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese. People with high cholesterol or heart disease should opt for reduced fat options. Non-dairy milks and yoghurts are ok too; opt for versions that have no added sugar and have had calcium added.

Limit or avoid processed meats including sausages and deli meats such as ham, bacon and salami. Check out the Heart Foundation website External Link for a range of simple, delicious recipes including vegetarian recipes and those that include plant-based proteins such as lentils, chickpeas and beans: Dietary fibre If you are trying to lower your cholesterol, aim to eat foods that are high in dietary fibre particularly soluble fibre , because they can reduce the amount of LDL bad cholesterol in your blood.

You can increase your fibre intake by eating: fruit vegetables legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, soybeans and bean mixes wholegrains for example, oats and barley nuts and seeds. Dietary fats Following a healthy, balanced diet that is low in saturated fats and trans-fats can help to lower your cholesterol.

Unhealthy fats Foods high in unhealthy saturated fats include: processed or deli-style meats such as ham, bacon and salami deep fried fast foods processed foods such as biscuits and pastries takeaway foods such as hamburgers and pizza fat on meat and skin on chicken ghee, lard and copha coconut oil palm oil often called vegetable oil in products cream and ice cream butter.

Healthy fats Foods high in healthy polyunsaturated fats include: soybean, sunflower, safflower, canola oil and margarine spreads made from these oils pine nuts, walnuts and brazil nuts.

fish tahini sesame seed spread linseed flaxseed and chia seeds Foods high in healthy monounsaturated fats include: cooking oils made from plants or seeds, including: olive, canola, peanut, sunflower, soybean, sesame and safflower avocados olives unsalted nuts such as almonds, cashews and peanuts.

If you regularly eat more energy than you need, you may have high triglycerides. Lowering triglycerides Some ways to reduce triglyceride levels include: stick to a healthy diet by following a heart-healthy eating pattern and limiting unhealthy fats, salt and added sugar opt for water, tea and coffee without adding sugar as heart-healthy drinks, instead of sugar-sweetened drinks such as soft drinks, cordial, energy drinks and sports drinks include foods with healthy omega-3 fats for example, fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna reduce or limit your alcohol intake maintain a healthy weight and reduce fat around your middle.

Treatment for high cholesterol Making lifestyle changes, especially changing some of the foods you eat, and regular physical activity , are very important to help reduce high LDL bad cholesterol. Move more. Regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your heart health.

Quitting smoking reduces the risk of heart disease and can help reduce cholesterol levels. The most effective way to stop smoking is with a combination of stop-smoking medicines like nicotine replacement therapy and support from a service like Quitline Tel: 13 78 Speaking to your GP is also a great first step.

Alcohol contributes unnecessary kilojoules energy and is of low nutritional value. Alcohol is not a necessary or recommended part of a heart-healthy eating pattern. If you do drink, to reduce your risk of alcohol-related harm, healthy women and men should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day.

You may also need to take cholesterol-lowering medicines such as statins to help manage your cholesterol and reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Talk to your doctor about finding the most appropriate treatment for you.

Where to get help Your GP doctor Dietitians Australia External Link Tel. Nutrient reference values NRVs for Australia and New Zealand External Link , , National Health and Medical Research Council.

Veggies are another awesome source of fibre, among other good things, and low calorie to boot. You can get creative by sneaking kale, spinach or arugula into your next meal. Donate now.

Home Eat to lower your cholesterol. Health seekers. Keep eating simple In the last 20 years, the rules on healthy eating have shifted. For a healthy, balanced eating plan: Get in the habit of filling half your plate with vegetables and fruit. When buying canned produce look for packed in water and lower sodium or sodium free options.

Choose whole grains. Look for whole grain breads, barley, oats including oatmeal quinoa, brown rice, bulgur, farro etc. Add more vegetarian options like beans, lentils, tofu and nuts to your weekly meal plans. And opt for lean cuts of meat, poultry and fish.