![]() It comes in two varieties: insoluble and soluble. Your body can't break down fiber, so it passes through your body undigested. The other big problem with refined carbs? They're woefully low in fiber, which helps flush cholesterol out of the body (see "The fiber factor"). Unlike healthy fats, these starchy foods aren't very filling, and they can trigger overeating and weight gain. Equally important is replacing those calories with healthy, unsaturated fats (such as those found in vegetable oils, avocados, and fatty fish) rather than refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, and white rice. That means avoiding meat, cheese, and other high-fat dairy products such as butter, half-and-half, and ice cream. "As the American Heart Association has noted, you'll get the biggest bang for your buck by lowering saturated fat and replacing it with unsaturated fat," says registered dietitian Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Your overall diet - especially the types of fats and carbohydrates you eat - has the most impact on your blood cholesterol values. Dietary directivesĪvoiding foods that are high in cholesterol isn't the best way to lower your LDL. However, most people with higher LDL values likely will also need to take a cholesterol-lowering drug, such as a statin, says Dr. If you fall into either of those categories, you may be able to nudge down your LDL to a healthier level by changing what you eat, particularly if your current diet could use some improvement. But many Americans have LDL values that are less than optimal (100 to 129 mg/dL) or borderline high (130 to 159 mg/dL). Jorge Plutzky, director of preventive cardiology at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. "To prevent heart disease, your LDL should be 100 mg/dL or lower," says Dr. Excess LDL builds up on artery walls and triggers a release of inflammatory substances that boost heart attack risk. But it's the harmful LDL cholesterol value that experts worry about the most. Ideally, your total cholesterol value should be 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or lower. If your cholesterol level has crept up over the years, you may wonder whether changing your diet can help. ![]() Focus on fiber-rich foods and avoid saturated fats.
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