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Foods that lower cholesterol: what the evidence shows

The foods with the best evidence for lowering LDL cholesterol are soluble fiber (oats, barley, beans, psyllium), nuts, plant sterols and stanols, and soy, eaten in place of foods high in saturated fat. Each one lowers LDL a little, often around 5 to 10%, and the effects add up when you combine them.

Swapping butter and other saturated fats for extra virgin olive oil also helps, as long as it replaces fat rather than adding calories. Food changes work best with regular movement and a healthy weight.

Updated · Facts checked against the sources listed below

How food lowers LDL

Food changes LDL in two main ways. Some foods add something that blocks cholesterol: soluble fiber binds it in the gut so it leaves the body, and plant sterols block it from being absorbed. Others work by replacement: eating less saturated fat lowers LDL, so what you swap in matters as much as what you add.

If your numbers are high, start with a lipid panel or an ApoB test so you can measure the change.

The foods, ranked by evidence

Effect sizes from Harvard Health Publishing and FDA health claim rules. The evidence strength column is Gabriel's summary of these sources. Results vary from person to person.
FoodWhat the evidence showsEvidence strength
Oats and barley (beta-glucan)The FDA allows a heart health claim for 3 grams or more a day of beta-glucan fiber from whole oats or barley. A bowl of oatmeal gives about 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber.Strong (FDA authorized claim)
PsylliumThe FDA added psyllium husk to the same soluble fiber claim. Two teaspoons a day gives about 4 grams of soluble fiber.Strong (FDA authorized claim)
Plant sterols and stanolsAbout 2 grams a day, usually from fortified foods, lowers LDL by roughly 10%.Strong
Nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts)About 2 ounces a day lowers LDL by roughly 5%.Moderate
Soy (tofu, soy milk, edamame)About 25 grams of soy protein a day lowers LDL by 5 to 6%, a smaller effect than once thought.Moderate
Extra virgin olive oilThe FDA allows a qualified claim: about 1.5 tablespoons a day of high-oleic oils such as olive oil may lower heart disease risk when it replaces saturated fat and doesn't add calories.Supportive but not conclusive (FDA qualified claim)
Beans, lentils, eggplant, okra, apples, citrusGood sources of soluble fiber; no single measured LDL effect, but they add to your daily fiber.Moderate as part of the pattern
Fatty fish (salmon, sardines)Eaten 2 to 3 times a week, it helps by replacing meat high in saturated fat, and its omega-3 fats lower triglycerides.Moderate

Which cooking oils to choose

Cook and dress food with extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, and keep butter, lard and other saturated fats small. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute names olive and avocado oil among the foods that supply plant sterols and stanols.

The olive oil benefit comes from replacement. The FDA's qualified claim applies only when the oil replaces fats higher in saturated fat and does not raise the total calories you eat in a day.

How to put it together

Harvard Health describes a largely plant-based "portfolio" of these foods that substantially lowers LDL, triglycerides and blood pressure. Adding several foods that lower cholesterol in different ways should work better than relying on one or two. A simple day might look like this:

  • Breakfast: oatmeal with berries and a handful of walnuts.
  • Lunch: a bean or lentil salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil.
  • Snack: an apple or an orange and a small handful of almonds.
  • Dinner: salmon or tofu with barley and roasted eggplant or okra.
  • Daily: psyllium or a sterol-fortified food if your clinician agrees.

Ask your clinician before adding psyllium, sterol products or other supplements if you take medicines or are pregnant. Never stop or change a prescribed cholesterol medicine without your prescriber.

When to recheck your numbers

Ask your clinician when to repeat your lipid panel, and keep a record of your results at each visit. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute advises setting and tracking LDL goals with your provider. If LDL or ApoB stays high, your clinician may talk about adding medicine to the plan. See how to lower ApoB for the full lifestyle list.

Common questions

What is the fastest way to lower cholesterol with food?

Combine several proven foods at once: soluble fiber from oats, barley, beans or psyllium, plant sterols, nuts and soy, while cutting saturated fat. The effects add up, so a combined approach works better than any one food.

Does oatmeal really lower cholesterol?

Yes. The FDA allows a heart health claim for 3 grams or more a day of beta-glucan fiber from oats or barley. One bowl gives about 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber, so reaching 3 grams usually takes more than one bowl or another source.

Is olive oil good for cholesterol?

Extra virgin olive oil helps when it replaces butter and other saturated fats. The FDA calls the evidence supportive but not conclusive and says it should not add calories.

Does soy lower cholesterol?

A little. About 25 grams of soy protein a day, roughly 10 ounces of tofu or 2.5 cups of soy milk, lowers LDL by about 5 to 6%.

How long does it take for diet to lower cholesterol?

These sources don't give one timeline. Ask your clinician when to recheck your lipid panel after a diet change.

Sources

  1. 11 foods that lower cholesterol Harvard Health Publishing
  2. Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  3. FDA Completes Review of Qualified Health Claim Petition for Oleic Acid and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  4. Food Labeling: Health Claims; Soluble Dietary Fiber From Certain Foods and Coronary Heart Disease (2005) Federal Register, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

This guide is general information, not medical advice. It does not replace a visit with a licensed clinician. Gabriel membership is not health insurance.