Research shows that around 75% of people with high cholesterol can see meaningful improvements through dietary changes and lifestyle alone. Some foods help lower cholesterol and keep your arteries healthy, while others can raise your risk. There’s also a small group (about 1 in 4) who have strongly inherited (genetic) high cholesterol. For them, medication may be necessary alongside a healthy diet.
There 2 main cholesterols to note. LDL cholesterol, or the “lousy” cholesterol can stick to your blood vessel walls and slowly clog things up, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Then there’s HDL cholesterol—the “helpful” kind. It picks up excess cholesterol and takes it to the liver to be offloaded. Removing lingering excess cholesterol from your bloodstream helps reduce the risk of plaques and blockages in your arteries.
Top dietary strategies for lowering cholesterol:
To reduce ‘lousy’ LDL cholesterol:
1. Increase intake of soluble fibre: Found in plant foods such as oats, apples, pears, legumes and beans. Soluble fibre absorbs water and forms a gel that traps cholesterol as it moves through your digestive tract, removing it from the body.
2. Eat more plant foods: Plant foods contain plant sterols which is similar to that found in cholesterol lowering medication.
3. Eat soy foods: The soy protein from foods such as tofu and soy milk works by telling the body to make less cholesterol as well as reducing the absorption of cholesterol from food.
Dietary strategies that increase ‘helpful’ HDL cholesterol:
1. Include more healthy fats: Using unsaturated fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocado and nuts in place of foods like butter.
2. Enjoy oily fish: These contain omega-3 fats which research has shown leads to increases in HDL levels in the blood.
3. Limit trans fats: These are fats that are created when fats are ‘processed’ such as in fried foods, pastries and crisps.
4. Keep a healthy weight: Weight loss in people with diabetes was found in research to be associated with a lowering of HDL cholesterol
Top 10 foods to lower cholesterol:
1. Oats: Your morning bowl of porridge or muesli is one of the best sources of soluble fibre available. You can also add them to your smoothie, home made muesli bars and biscuits.
2. Legumes: These are the ultimate superfood as they are high in a range of fibres, and plant protein. They are easy to add straight from the tin to salads, casseroles & stir-fries etc.
3. Barley: A wholegrain contains similar fibres to oats and can be easy to add to your stews and soups for extra satisfaction.
4. Nuts: A good source of unsaturated fats and plant sterols so they make a great topper for cereals and salads as well as in their paste form on bread, crackers etc.
5. Oily fish: Good sources of omega-3 that have been shown to lower cholesterol. Aim for at least 1 serving a week.
6. Soy foods: When they replace animal protein, they have the potential to reduce overall saturated fat intake.
7. Fruits: Eat a rainbow of colour and choose foods in season to boost your intake of soluble fibre and antioxidants.
8. Vegetables: Include at most meals, snacks and whenever you can will boost your intake of plant sterols and fibre.
9. Plant sterol enriched foods: There is a small group of breakfast cereals and other products that add plant sterols to the food. Aim for a 2g dose each day so check the label.
10. Avocado: The mighty avocado is packed with not just unsaturated fats, but with fibre, plant sterols and a whole host of vitamins and minerals that contribute to heart health.
It’s not just what you eat, but how much counts too. Even ‘healthy’ foods can add up if you’re engaging in a bit of non-hungry eating. Weight gain, regardless of the food that created it, can lead to increases in cholesterol.
Foods that lower cholesterol are also the foods that are likely to keep you feeling fuller for longer so if you follow the principle of eating till you are around 80% full, you will find it easier to keep a healthy weight for you.
Managing your cholesterol isn’t about perfection or cutting out every enjoyable food—it’s about building sustainable habits and making small, positive swaps every day. For many, eating more plant foods (like legumes, fruits, veggies, and whole grains) and less saturated fat can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol by 10–15% or more—sometimes even higher depending on individual response and consistency. The power of your fork really does matter. Remember, it’s never too late to start; even gentle changes to your diet and lifestyle can add up, helping your heart stay strong for years to come.
