There are several types of ingredients that are put into foods that are not good for your cholesterol levels. There are two that are worse than others. One of the ingredients is a type of fat that is found mostly in foods that come from animals. It is saturated fat. The other is cholesterol, which comes only from animal products. On average, saturated fat is the leading cause of unhealthy cholesterol levels in a person's diet. Too much saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet is the main cause for high levels of cholesterol, which can eventually lead to heart disease. If your doctor has told you that you have to reduce your cholesterol levels, you are going to have to cut back on the amount of saturated fats and cholesterol in your diet. We have talked about the types of foods that will raise your cholesterol but there are different kinds of foods available that will also lower your cholesterol.

The absorption of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol into your bloodstream is the main cause of having elevated cholesterol levels. By eating more soluble fiber, This will cause a reduction in your LDL levels. You can decrease your overall cholesterol levels by consuming five to ten grams of soluble fiber daily. Oatmeal is an excellent source of soluble fiber. Other soluble fiber containing foods are kidney beans, bananas, apples, pears, barley and prunes. Consuming 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal per day will provide you with 6g of fiber. If you add fruit like bananas, you will add about another four grams of fiber to your meal. If you do not want to eat oatmeal everyday, you can also eat cold cereal made with oatmeal or oat bran.

You can also reduce your cholesterol by eating walnuts, almonds and other nuts. These make a great snack. These nuts are chalk-full of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Plus, walnuts are known to help keep blood vessels healthy decreasing your risk of heart disease. According to the Food and Drug Administration, eating about a handful (1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams) a day of most nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, may reduce your risk of heart disease. If you notice, I left off nuts that are salted or coated with sugar. Try not to overdue it on the nuts and keep it to a handful because nuts are high in calories. Nuts are not high in saturated fats. If you usually consume foods that are high in saturated fats, replace them with nuts. Instead of reaching into your pocket to pull out spare change to buy some salty sugary snacks from the vending machine, reach for a handful of peanuts or walnuts.

Another great cholesterol-lowering food is fatty fish and omega-3 fatty acids. Eating these types of foods will start you off in the right direction in improving your cholesterol. Developing blood clots due to plaque formation on the walls of your arteries is reduced when eating fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. All is not lost for those who have already had a heart attack. Eating foods that have fish oil, or omega-3 fatty acids in them reduces the risk of sudden death. Two servings of fish a week is recommended to get the best results. Fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, salmon and halibut. You should bake or grill your fish to avoid having extra calories in your meal. Foods like ground flaxseed or canola oil have small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in them if you do not have the desire to eat fish.