Dietary element | Examples | Effect on your cholesterol level |
|---|
Alcohol | - Red wine
- White
wine
- Beer
- Hard liquor
| - Moderate consumption (up to 1 drink a day
for a woman; 1 or 2 a day for a man) may raise your HDL. But doctors don't recommend starting to drink alcohol to
raise your HDL.
- More than 2
drinks a day may raise
triglyceride levels in people
who are overweight or who have high triglyceride levels.
- Heavy drinking greatly increases risk of heart and liver damage, addiction, and other
serious health problems.
|
| Dietary cholesterol | - Egg yolks
- Poultry, especially
skin
- Red meat, especially organ meats
- Dairy products
that are not low-fat (1%) or nonfat
- Shellfish
| - Raises total blood
cholesterol
|
| Dietary fiber (soluble) | - Oats
- Dried beans
(legumes)
- Peas
- Barley
- Citrus
fruits
- Apples
| - Proven to reduce total cholesterol and
LDL
|
Dietary fiber (insoluble) | - Whole wheat breads and cereals
- Beets
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Turnips
| - Does not affect cholesterol but promotes healthy bowel movement
|
| Saturated fat | - Fatty meats (beef, pork)
- Poultry skin
- Butterfat (in whole milk, cream, ice
cream, cheese)
- Tropical oils (coconut, palm)
| - Raises
LDL
- Little effect on
HDL or
triglycerides
|
| Monounsaturated fat | - Olive oil
- Canola oil
- Avocados
- Walnuts
| - Lowers LDL if substituted for saturated fat
- Keeps HDL up
|
| Polyunsaturated fat | - Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Sesame oil
- Corn oil
- Soybean oil
- Flaxseed oil
| - Linoleic acid, found in these oils, can lower
LDL if used in moderation.
|
| Omega-3 fats | - All fish, especially fatty fish, such as
salmon and mackerel
- Plant sources, such as walnuts, canola, and
flaxseed oils
| |
| Trans fats | - Hydrogenated fats, found in some margarines, vegetable
shortenings, nondairy creamers, and whipped toppings
- Snack foods
(potato chips, cookies, cakes)
- Peanut butter that contains
hydrogenated fat (except all-natural varieties)
| - Raises LDL
- Little effect on HDL
but at high levels can lower HDL
|
Soy protein | - Soybeans
- Soy products such as tofu
| - Lowers LDL by a small amount
- No effect on HDL
|
Plant stanols and sterols | - Specially labeled margarine
| - Lowers LDL
- No effect on HDL
|