Foods That Lower Cholesterol

• Fatty fish, nuts, oats and foods that have been fortified with plant sterols or stanols can lower cholesterol levels.
  
  

Foods to Avoid

• You should avoid foods with high levels of cholesterol and saturated fat, such as fatty meats, egg yolks and whole-milk dairy products.
  
  

Significance

• High cholesterol levels can lead to life-threatening problems, including heart attacks and strokes.
  
  

Potential

• Research supports the claim that your diet can affect your cholesterol levels. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers the aforementioned foods beneficial to maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, though, as with any diet, its effectiveness varies from person to person.
  
  

Interesting Fact

• There are two types of cholesterol: the "good" HDL kind and the "bad" LDL kind, both of which are the result of the foods you eat. LDL can clog arteries, while HDL manages LDL and helps remove it from your body by sending it to your liver.