A List of Foods That Help to Lower Cholesterol Should Include These Three

If you are looking for a list of foods that help to lower cholesterol, then you are up to date on some of the latest information. For many years, the focus was on cholesterol-containing food. The recommendation was to avoid it.

The latest studies suggest that avoiding cholesterol-containing food could make your body produce more of it. Only 10-20% of what is found circulating in the bloodstream comes from the food that we eat. The rest is produced by the body, specifically by the liver, the intestines, the adrenals and the reproductive organs.

Once produced, the compounds circulate through the bloodstream in carrier molecules called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are composed of fats and proteins. The more protein they contain, the denser they are. Those are referred to as high density lipoproteins or HDLs. HDL particles are sometimes referred to as "good cholesterols" and low density or LDL particles are referred to as bad, although the type of cholesterols that the particles transport are exactly the same.

The difference between LDL and HDL particles is that one can penetrate through the endothelium lining the arteries, veins and blood vessels. The HDL particles are too dense and buoyant. They actually serve to cleanse the arteries by picking up stray LDL particles.

So, not only do you want a list of foods that help to lower cholesterol, you want to know which ones will increase your HDL levels and lower your total triglycerides. Research indicates that the most dangerous blood profiles are those that have high LDL and low HDL levels, as well as high total triglycerides; they are fats in the bloodstream.

A list of foods that help to lower cholesterol would include rice bran oil. The oil is used for cooking throughout Asia, but is not particularly popular in the US. Like some other plants, it contains Phytosterols, which are similar in structure to cholesterols. In the digestive system, they compete for absorption. Therefore, they reduce the amount absorbed from the foods that you eat.

Soy is another food that is beneficial for balancing HDL-LDL levels. The active component of soy is lecithin. It stimulates the secretion of cholesterol from the body. Soy also contains beta-sitosterol, which is one of the Phytosterols that compete for absorption.

Green and black teas should be included on the list of foods that help to lower cholesterol. They contain antioxidants called Theaflavins and catechins, which have been shown in numerous studies to raise HDL levels and lower LDL levels.

It may be more effective to take a concentrated supplement than it is to add these foods and beverages to your daily diet. The concentration of active compounds in these plants varies from one batch to the next.

In the laboratory, supplement companies are able to isolate and extract the active components, verifying the concentration and providing an accurate dose every time. They can also include extracts from plants that we don't normally eat, such as policosanol; this is found in beeswax and other natural sources.

Now you have a short list of foods that help to lower cholesterol, and you know that supplements can help too. It makes sense to do everything that you can, since the health of your heart is at stake.

Jackie Leone is a consumer advocate and a dedicated researcher who has been on a search to find the lowercholesterolinfo.com best natural cholesterol balancing supplements available. Visit her website at lowercholesterolinfo.com lowercholesterolinfo.com to discover what she personally takes and why.