Fruits That Lower Cholesterol and Keep Your Heart Healthy

Cholesterol is a waxy molecule in our blood that helps our cells stay healthy. But too much cholesterol can make heart disease more likely. So, how can we keep our cholesterol levels in check? The good news is that nature gives us an easy answer: fruits.

Adding fruits to your daily diet in a balanced and consistent approach makes it much easier to keep your cholesterol levels in check.

How Fruits Can Help Lower Cholesterol

Fruits are good for your heart since they are high in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Soluble fiber is one of the most important parts because it helps lower cholesterol by slowing down its absorption during digestion and helping the body get rid of it.

Fruits
Citrus fruits including oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and others are high in vitamin C, which is beneficial for lowering cholesterol levels. They have pectin in them, which is a form of soluble fiber that helps lower LDL cholesterol, which is often called “bad” cholesterol. The antioxidants in citrus fruits also help keep arteries flexible and lower inflammation.

• The best ways to eat citrus fruits are:
• Drink a glass of fresh orange or grapefruit juice first thing in the morning.
• Put a slice of lemon in your water.
• Add orange or grapefruit slices to salads or seafood dishes.
• Whenever you can, eat entire fruits instead of juice.
• Grapefruit may interact with several medicines, so talk to your doctor before eating it often.

Apples are full of pectin and both soluble and insoluble fibers that help lower cholesterol levels. Research has revealed that eating apples on a regular basis can cut LDL cholesterol levels by a lot. They also have polyphenol antioxidants that protect blood vessels and help lower inflammation.

The best ways to eat apples are:

• Put apple slices in your oatmeal in the morning.
• Peanut butter and apple slices make a healthful snack.
• Add diced apples to your salads.
• Don’t juice apples if you want to keep all of their nutrients.

Bananas
Bananas are also very helpful for lowering cholesterol. Bananas have soluble fiber and plant sterols that work synergistically to stop cholesterol from being absorbed. Banana fiber helps with digestion and weight control, which is good for heart health.

The best ways to consume bananas are:

• Add banana slices to your cereal or yogurt for breakfast.
• Put bananas in smoothies.
• Use whole wheat flour to make banana bread that has more fiber.
• Instead of sipping banana juice, eat entire bananas. Juicing takes out much of the fiber and minerals.

More Advice

When you can, eat fruits with their skins on. The skin usually has the most fiber in it.

Juicing takes out most of the fiber, thus whole fruits are preferable than juice.

To get all the health benefits, try to consume a variety of fruits every week.

Pair fruits with foods high in protein and healthy fats to keep your energy up longer.

Fruits are good for you, but don’t eat too much of them. Moderation is the key.