Foods that help reduce bad cholesterol naturally

The food we eat and the lifestyle we follow can make or break our health. And this stands true in the context of lifestyle disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart attacks and cardiac arrests.

Interestingly, over the past few years, India has seen an increase in the number of cardiac diseases and deaths, thus it is becoming more important to fix the bad cholesterol floating through the blood streams. Experts around the world vouch for diet and lifestyle modification, when it comes to controlling the clogging of arteries and reducing the bad cholesterol LDL levels. Here are some foods which can naturally help in lowering the bad cholesterol levels in the body.

It is believed that eating oats daily for four weeks can significantly reduce the LDL levels. The daily intake of 25-35 grams of oats can help in reducing the bad cholesterol levels, this is because oats are rich in soluble fiber, which reduces the absorption of cholesterol in the bloodstreams. It is believed to be the best food to reduce bad cholesterol and improve heart health. You can introduce oats to your daily diet by adding them to smoothies, chia puddings, oats pancakes and oatmeal.

Fruits like orange, lemon, grapefruits to name a few can also help in reducing LDL levels and improve heart health. This is because citrus fruits are rich in soluble fibers, antioxidants and a compound called Pectin, which helps in lowering LDL levels naturally.

Nuts are packed with the nutrients that help in reducing LDL levels. A report by Harvard claims that eating 56grams of nuts daily may help in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. This is because nuts are loaded with antioxidants, soluble fiber, vitamins, minerals and omega 3 fatty acids, which help in improving heart health and lowering cholesterol levels.

Loaded with the goodness of omega 3 fatty acids, adding fatty fish to the daily diet can also help in lowering LDL levels, fatty fishes can naturally help in reducing triglycerides, which helps in managing and reducing the release of sugar into the bloodstream. Managing triglyceride levels can improve heart health.

Whole grains like barley, millets, buckwheat and oats are all whole grains that are rich in dietary fibers, which can help in lowering the blood cholesterol levels and improving heart health. Apart from that these whole grains are rich in nutrients that boost overall immunity and improve metabolism.