Cholesterol Lowering Foods - Nature's Answer to High Blood Cholesterol Levels

If you've just found out that your cholesterol levels are too high and need to come down, you basically have a choice of two paths to take. The first path involves cholesterol lowering foods that have been proven effective and will improve your health far beyond that of your cardiovascular system.

The second path is to use chemicals that have been produced in the laboratory to reduce cholesterol levels. Taking cholesterol medication comes with many potential side effects including muscle, kidney and liver damage. As many as 25% of individuals who use statin medication experience muscle aches and twitching.

It seems to me that the clear choice is using food for high cholesterol and leaving medication as a last resort. Cholesterol lowering foods are those which contain high amounts of fiber and plant sterols such as what is found in most vegetables. Brussels sprouts, spinach and broccoli are some of the best foods that combine high fiber content with a high level of plant sterols.

Sterols are natural substances that are found in all plants and have been proven to block the absorption of cholesterol into the body. This is due to the fact that plant sterols have a very similar molecular makeup to that of cholesterol. Scientists believe that the sterols actually compete with cholesterol for absorption, thereby preventing the absorption of much of the cholesterol found in the foods we eat.

Now don't get the idea that this is a license for eating a high cholesterol foods. The most effective diet for lowering cholesterol will be one that contains reduced amounts of saturated fats combined with high fiber foods. In addition to vegetables, fruit, nuts and whole grains contain substantial amounts of fiber.

A bowl of oatmeal that has crushed walnuts mixed in is a great food for high cholesterol. Other sample diet for lowering cholesterol ideas include adding as much spinach and other vegetables as possible to the sandwiches you eat.

A wonderful cholesterol reducing dinner that I enjoy is salmon served over a bed of spinach. The combination of fiber and sterols found in the spinach added to the omega-3 fatty acids supplied by the salmon is extremely beneficial.

I invite you to visit my website where I discuss cholesterol lowering foods and other natural ways to bring down high cholesterol readings.

Van Crawford has been researching health related issues for more than 10 years and shares his research into natural ways to lower cholesterol levels on his website. To learn more about effective ways to lower your cholesterol and to learn how Van was able to lower his cholesterol without the use of medication, visit his website now: http://www.Lowering-Cholesterol-Resources.com