Health

HealthWatch: Foods To Lower Your Cholesterol

NEW YORK (CBS) ― It may seem backwards, but people trying to lower their cholesterol may benefit by adding to their diet, rather than taking away.

There's a great deal of attention paid to what not to eat when you're watching your cholesterol, and for good reason. But what you eat doesn't only raise your cholesterol – in some cases it can lower it.

Some added focus on certain healthy foods could improve your cholesterol numbers.

At the top of the list of cholesterol-reducing foods is olive oil, which packs two ingredients that can lower cholesterol levels.

"Olive oil is monounsaturated fat, and it also has polyphenols," Andrea Beaman, a holistic health counselor, said. "And what those polyphenols do is they help to raise HDL, which is healthy cholesterol, and lower LDL, which is the unhealthy cholesterol."

The Omega-3 fatty acids in fish and fish oil have been well documented for ability to lower triglyceride, or bad cholesterol, as well.

The American Heart Association recommends the consumption of one gram of fish oil daily, preferably by eating fish, for patients with coronary heart disease.

Another healthy food that can lower cholesterol is beans, which contain soluble fiber that helps our bodies to absorb less cholesterol.

The low sugar content of nuts and grains can also be beneficial to lowering cholesterol.

"Here we have beans, and nuts, and whole grains. These are relatively low in sugar," Beaman said. "So, naturally, the triglyceride levels are going to be lower, because triglycerides are blood sugar."

Dark chocolate may increase good cholesterol, but sadly only when eaten in moderation.

"You may be getting the cholesterol-lowering benefits of chocolate, but if you're eating all that sugar, your cholesterol's going to go up, triglycerides are going to go up, and you're going to be right back where you started," Beaman said.

Grapefruits can also be beneficial in attempts to lower the intake of bad cholesterol.

A recent study found that people who ate a grapefruit daily saw a drop in their cholesterol levels.

One warning, though: if you're already taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, grapefruit should be avoided.

It's important to note that over-eating just one of these foods is not likely to help, but that integrating small amounts of a few each day may make the biggest difference.

Remember: exercise improves cholesterol dramatically, by increasing levels of good cholesterol, in a way that food just can't.

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