How to manage your cholesterol by choosing the right food

There's no doubt that what you eat influences the levels of cholesterol and other fats in your blood. Numerous studies document that a diet high in animal products and other saturated fats tend to elevate cholesterol levels, in contrast to the low levels found in people whose diet consist largely of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. People with a family history of heart disease should be diligent in following a diet that limits the cholesterol-raising foods and emphasizes cholesterol-lowering foods. Here are some tips on picking the right foods to manage your cholesterol levels.

• Whole wheat and multi-grain breads and rolls; pumpernickel and rye bread.
• Oatmeal and breakfast cereals that contain oat or rice bran.
• Tofu and other soy products.
• Non-hydrogenated soft margarine; oils, including olive, canola oil, ­safflower, sunflower, cottonseed and soybean oils.
• Vegetables, such as sweet corn, onions, garlic, lima beans, kidney beans and other legumes.
• Fruits, such as oranges, apples, pears, bananas; dried fruits such as apricots, figs and prunes.
• Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans; seeds such as sesame and sunflower seeds.

• Hard margarine and vegetable shortening, which are high in saturated fats and trans fatty acids.
• Cookies, cakes, pastries and chocolates, especially those made with saturated tropical oils or partially hydrogenated oils.
• Full-fat dairy products, such as cheese, cream and butter; all are high in saturated fats.
• Fatty meats and meat products, such as marbled beef, pork and lamb chops, hamburgers, bacon, hot dogs, salami and other cold cuts.

• Do one simple thing: spread your bread with margarine containing plant sterols. Results from various studies and randomized trials indicate that people age 50 to 59 would reduce their heart disease risk by 25 percent after only two years by using these margarines.
• Plant sterols, although not available in Canada, can also be found in specially produced yogurts, cheese products and salad dressings.
• A vegetarian "ape diet" can lower cholesterol as well as a statin drug. A diet modelled on the food groups that apes eat has been shown to lower high cholesterol as effectively as lovastatin, a common anticholesterol drug in the statin group. The diet consists of four food groups: nuts (especially almonds), soy proteins, high-fibre foods (like oats and fruits) and a margarine with plant sterols.