How many carbs should I eat a day to lower cholesterol?

If a more moderate or liberal low-carb diet (e.g. 50–100 grams of carbs per day ) can still work for you, it may also lower your cholesterol. Just remember to choose unprocessed carb sources (e.g., not wheat flour or refined sugar).

Are potatoes bad for high cholesterol?

Potatoes are rich in soluble fibre, which can be consumed by high cholesterol patients without any confusion. Consuming potatoes not only maintains the cholesterol level, but the body also gets many health benefits.

What is the golden drink that lowers cholesterol?

Golden milk, also known as turmeric milk , is a common Indian drink that has recently been gaining popularity in western cultures due to many health claims. It's beautiful bright yellow color is a result of adding turmeric, along with spices such as cinnamon and ginger, to milk.

What is the number 1 carb to avoid?

1. Sugary Foods . Most people already think of many of the foods in this category as unhealthy treats. Candy, soft drinks, and sweet desserts such as cake, chocolate, and ice cream are all expected entries on a list of carbs to avoid to lose weight.

Are potatoes bad carbs?

They're also chock full of starch, which is a carbohydrate. But even though a potato is considered a complex “healthy” carb , your body digests these carbs faster than other kinds of complex carbs. These broken-down carbs flood your blood with sugar. This makes your blood sugar spike quickly.

Refined sugar (white and brown), corn syrup, honey maple syrup. Beverages. Soda, juice, sweet tea, sweetened beverages, sweet wine, beer, drink mixers containing sugar. Jams, jellies, tomato sauce, syrup, molasses and honey are all considered bad carbs because they include additional sugar or are naturally high in ...

Are eggs bad for high cholesterol?

Answer From Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D. Chicken eggs are an affordable source of protein and other nutrients. They're also naturally high in cholesterol. But the cholesterol in eggs doesn't seem to raise cholesterol levels the way some other foods, such as those high in trans fats and saturated fats, do.

Is potato salad bad for cholesterol?

But potatoes can be a part of a heart-healthy diet because they are rich in potassium and fiber. They're also packed with vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B, folate, fiber, vitamin C and potassium. Potassium helps to reduce blood pressure, and the fiber found in potatoes can help lower cholesterol .

What is the best butter to lower cholesterol?

Nutritionally, grass-fed butter contains less saturated fats, more PUFAs, and more of the heart-healthy omega-3 and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) fatty acids than regular butter.

Will cutting out carbs lower my cholesterol?

Trimming carbohydrate intake results in healthy improvements in blood fat levels, even if a person doesn't lose an ounce, a new study shows. Trimming carbohydrate intake results in healthy improvements in cholesterol levels, even if a person doesn't lose an ounce, a new study shows.

Can I do a low-carb diet if I have high cholesterol?

The ketogenic diet is generally healthful for most people and can even help lower cholesterol levels in the long term. However, some people may need to adjust their keto diet to avoid raising their cholesterol levels .

What do 250 grams of carbs look like?

For instance, a high-carb diet that provides 250 grams of carbs per day could start with toast and orange juice for breakfast, followed by a sandwich and potato chips for lunch, and pasta for dinner . A disciplined person who practiced portion control may feel fine on this diet.

7 Carbs You Should Be Buying to Lower Cholesterol, According to a Dietitian (2024)

More than one-third of all U.S. adults have high cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So, if you are one of the nearly 94 million Americans experiencing this condition, know that you are not alone.

For people who want to lower their cholesterol, several foods can help with this goal—carbs included! While carbohydrates have been vilified thanks to diets like keto, Atkins and the South Beach Diet, there are several healthy carbs that are worth a spot on your plate. Not to mention, including carbs in an overall heart-healthy diet can help your body experience lower cholesterol levels naturally.

While it is true that some carbs are not the best choice when trying to support healthy cholesterol levels—think cookies, candies and other sweet treats—other carb-rich foods are packed with important nutrients that may help reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol, increase HDL ("good") cholesterol and help support overall heart health.

Types of Carbs in Foods

Most carbohydrates fall into two categories: whole-food-based carbs (commonly called complex carbohydrates) and refined carbs (often referred to as simple carbohydrates, although not all refined carbs are simple carbs).

Whole food–based carbs are typically free of added sugar, are chock-full of important nutrients and contain more fiber than most simple carbs. Whole grains, many fruits, starchy vegetables and beans/legumes fall into the whole-food-based carb category.

On the other hand, refined carbs are typically more processed and lower in fiber and micronutrients. Examples of refined-carb foods include cookies, candies, pretzels, white bread and drinks with added sugars, like soda or sugar-sweetened tea.

Carbohydrates give your body the fuel it needs to make energy. And while some research suggests that eating a low-carb diet may have cholesterol-lowering benefits—especially when compared with the effects of a low-fat diet, as a 2019 meta-analysis in Nutrition Reviews suggests—you will be hard-pressed to find science suggesting that people who want to reduce their cholesterol levels should go 100% carb-free.

And the research is very mixed. A 2021 study in Nutrients suggests that a low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet had deleterious effects on LDL cholesterol levels in young, healthy, normal-weight women.

7 Carbs You Should Be Buying to Lower Cholesterol

If you are one of the many people whose LDL or HDL cholesterol levels are simply not where you want them to be, here are seven carbohydrates you can add to your grocery list that may help naturally maintain healthier cholesterol levels.

1. Prunes

Snacking on prunes can fuel your body with many nutrients that are key for heart health, including antioxidants, fiber, potassium and magnesium. Research published in 2021 in the Journal of Medicinal Food suggests that, among postmenopausal women, eating approximately five to six prunes each day for six months may offer positive cardiovascular health outcomes, including raising HDL cholesterol and lowering the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL.

Improved antioxidant capacity and reduced inflammation were also seen in subjects who ate five to six prunes every day for six months when compared with those who did not eat prunes daily. Another clinical study found that prune consumption may play a positive role in intestinal microflora regulation and, in turn, may lower total cholesterol levels among people with mildly elevated cholesterol, according to a 2017 study in Pharmaceutical Biology.

Prunes are perfectly portable fruits that don't require refrigeration and are easy to enjoy when on the go. Or, if you are craving more of a meal, you can enjoy prunes in a dish like .

2. Oats

Oats are a whole-grain carbohydrate choice that is a staple breakfast food. And if you are trying to lower your cholesterol, eating oats may be one of the best things you can do, thanks to the unique beta-glucan fiber they contain. This fiber binds LDL cholesterol in the body, helping remove it before it is absorbed.

One 2022 meta-analysis in Nutrients suggests that oat beta-glucan may significantly decrease total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.

To get more oats in your diet, you can whip up a classic breakfast oatmeal, make a batch of Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies or enjoy some Cranberry-Oat Energy Balls on busy days.

3. Potatoes

The humble potato is a starchy veggie that is equally delicious as it is good for you. Along with the boost of carbohydrates that potatoes provide, each serving fuels your body with soluble fiber, a nutrient that can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream.

While all potatoes can fit into a cholesterol-lowering diet, purple potatoes may offer an additional cholesterol-lowering benefit thanks to the anthocyanin polyphenols they contain. Anthocyanin is an antioxidant responsible for giving these potatoes their gorgeous purple hue.

A 2023 meta-analysis of 41 studies published in Frontiers in Nutrition suggests that anthocyanin intake through supplementation significantly reduces triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, while increasing HDL cholesterol. While we can't definitively say that getting this antioxidant from food will offer the same results, there is little (if any) risk, but several benefits associated with eating these pretty purple taters. Try some German-Style Purple Potato Salad for a fun way to try these unique tubers.

When including potatoes in your diet, go for baked, boiled or air-fried potatoes. Limit preparations that include deep-frying or ingredients rich in saturated fat, like bacon and butter. or are other flavorful ways to enjoy this popular veggie.

4. Apples

There may be some truth to the old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"—at least when lowering cholesterol. Apples are a natural source of various polyphenols and fibers, factors that may naturally support heart health. Plus, they are sodium-free and saturated-fat-free, while offering a sweet taste with no added sugars.

Among the nutrients found in apples, one of the heart-health stars is pectin, a type of fiber found in an apple's skin that helps prevent cholesterol from being absorbed into the bloodstream.

Results of a 2020 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that evaluated people with mildly elevated cholesterol showed that the simple act of eating two apples every day resulted in reduced serum total and LDL cholesterol compared with people who didn't eat a regular dose of this crunchy fruit.

5. Beans

Beans not only provide energy-sustaining carbohydrates, but they also provide fiber, plant-based proteins, antioxidants and a slew of other nutrients that support heart health.

Thanks to their convenience and cost-effectiveness, using canned beans can be a simple part of following a cholesterol-lowering diet. In fact, a 2021 study in the Journal of Nutrition concluded that eating 1 cup of canned beans every day for four weeks may decrease total and LDL cholesterol in adults with elevated LDL cholesterol.

Eating a yummy Bean Bolognese or some is a simple way to include more canned beans in your diet.

6. Berries

Berries are packed with fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients, making them one of the best foods for overall health. Whether you are reaching for juicy red raspberries, gorgeous blueberries or any other variety of berry, including these fruits in your diet may be a big help in managing your cholesterol levels. Many studies support this, including a 2021 meta-analysis in Frontiers in Nutrition have shown that eating berries is consistently linked to a decrease in total and LDL cholesterol and an increase in HDL cholesterol.

A refreshing Strawberry-Blueberry-Banana Smoothie or a portion of Raspberry-Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt Bark can help you include nutrient-packed berries in your diet.

7. 100% Orange Juice

Beverage choices matter just as much as food choices when aiming to achieve healthy cholesterol levels. If you want to drink something other than water, an occasional glass of 100% orange juice is a viable option to support your health goals, especially compared to sugar-sweetened beverages.

According to 2020 research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, drinking any carbonated beverage with added sugar (like soda), as well as punch, lemonade or other noncarbonated fruit beverages was linked to lower HDL cholesterol. This study also suggests that long-term OJ drinkers tend to have lower levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol compared to non-OJ drinkers.

Of course, you can sip on some good old-fashioned OJ to potentially reap these health benefits. But if you want to include it in your dishes, recipes like Orange Ginger Chicken Bowls and are nice options to explore.

The Bottom Line

While food and lifestyle play an important role in both the prevention and treatment of cholesterol, medical treatment may be necessary. Work closely with your healthcare team to create a medical plan that is best for you. Whether you have high cholesterol or are trying to prevent it, including these seven foods can be a delicious way to a healthier you.