A Surprisingly Long List Of Cholesterol Busting Foods

Butter, gravy, lard, bacon fat, nondairy creamers, cream sauce, hydrogenated margarine, shortening, cheese, egg yolks, whole milk, sour cream, whipping cream, coconut oil, palm oil, cottonseed oil, and palm-kernel oil.

The chances are pretty good that no matter where in the world you live you consume at least a couple of the foods above; and no they are not considered to be cholesterol busting foods. In fact, they are the opposite of cholesterol busting foods, and for cholesterol busting foods to deliver the intended health benefits our list mouth watering delights above must be held down to a bare minimum.



You will also need to try to decipher which culinary delights contain these artery clogging foods. For example that pumpkin pie you may have had for the holidays contained at least two of these and maybe even three.

Cholesterol busting foods

Now why don't we look at some foods that are considered to be cholesterol and heart friendly. They are: salmon, blueberries, diet grape juice, green soybeans (edamame), black beans, tuna, lake trout, sardines, anchovies, herring, hoki, olive oil, tofu, apples, avocados, walnuts, almonds, sweet potatoes, fruits with the pulp, barley, oatmeal, flaxseed, low fat/low sugar yogurt, foods infused with plant sterols, cherries, and most vegetables especially those of the green leafy variety such as kale and turnip greens.

But we should also throw fresh herbs into our mix of cholesterol busting foods because they can be used to replace many other high saturated fat seasonings used during the cooking process. This is especially true in Southern cuisine where high saturated fat drippings and/or butter are often used liberally to season food. Herbs such as sage, oregano, rosemary, basil, and thyme are high in antioxidants which seem to have some beneficial cholesterol busting properties.

Knowing your fats

Unsaturated fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated are considered to be much healthier choices than saturated fats and trans fats. Some unsaturated fats even lower cholesterol levels and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Canola oil and avocado oil are a good source for monosaturated fats, as are many different varieties of nuts: walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, and pistachios.

Monosaturated fat choices are considered to be cholesterol busting foods because they lower levels of harmful LDL cholesterol while not negatively impacting beneficial HDL.

Polyunsaturated fats are found in corn, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oils.

But we have saved the best for last with our third type of unsaturated fat; omega 3 fatty acids. Most of the foods high in this type of heart healthy fat are listed above and by and large are fish which fall under the category of cold water fatty fish.

In summary, there are many delicious foods which stake a claim to the title of cholesterol busting foods. With a little imagination you can transform these foods into meals that not only taste good but will provide both short and long term cardiovascular health benefits for you and your family.

Additionally, studies show that fish oil supplementation consisting of between 700 and 1000 milligrams of the omega 3 fatty acids DHA/EPA daily is a powerful addition to a diet rich in cholesterol busting foods.