Oftentimes, medical people and natural health experts alike want to convince you that lowering cholesterol is both hard and complicated.

The fact is, however that a few small, painless changes in diet and lifestyle can make a huge difference to your cardiovascular health.

In today’s article we’re going to reveal 5 common foods, available in every supermarket, that will make a big dent in your cholesterol numbers – even if you consume them in lower quantities.

Unhealthy foods loaded with sugar, trans-fat, and unhealthy dietary cholesterol raise harmful LDL cholesterol, causing a lot of damage to our arteries.

The great news is that we can support our hearts with a heart –smart diet that helps remove the harmful fat and keep our arteries clean and healthy.

1) Omega 3 fatty acids

It sounds controversial, that the fat from fatty acids like Omega 3 actually removes bad LDL cholesterol from blood.

According to various studies, Omega 3 fatty acids have many heart benefits. Some of the most important ones are that it lowers triglyceride levels and reduces blood clots.

The best source of Omega 3 fatty acids is Flax seed oil (12059 mg per 200 –Calorie serving). Another food loaded with Omega 3 is fish oil, like the kind in salmon (7828 mg per 200-calorie serving).

Foods like walnuts, walnut oil, soybeans, tuna, sardines, herring, almonds, anchovies and broccoli are all great sources of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids.

2) Monounsaturated fats
This is another “good” fat that helps get rid of cholesterol. Replace trans fats and saturated fats with monounsaturated fats, and you will experience obvious heart health benefits.

Monounsaturated fats are high in vitamin E, a very important antioxidant for heart health.

Great sources of monounsaturated fats are almonds, peanut butter, avocado, olive oil, macadamias, sunflower oil and fish oil.

3) Fiber
The American Heart Association recommends incorporating fiber into a daily diet to lower high cholesterol levels. That includes foods with soluble and insoluble fiber. The suggested daily dose of fiber intake is 25-30 grams.

Great fiber sources are:

Bran- 1 cup- 60 g of fiber; cauliflower and broccoli 1 cup cooked -3 g; raw cabbage 1 cup cooked -3g; raspberries 1 cup-8 g; leafy greens

(Romaine lettuce) per serving -2 g; celery, one medium stalk -0.6 g; squash, 1 cup cubed -10 g; kidney beans 1 cup-11 g;

4) Flavonoids are a type of antioxidants found ubiquitously in plant-based foods. They help reduce the LDL oxidation process that leads to arterial plaque. Flavanoids are a real power food for their anti-inflammatory and disease-fighting antioxidant benefits.

Good sources of Flavonoids are:

• Dark chocolate( with at least 65% of Cocoa)
• Onions
• Green and black tea
• Broccoli
• Apples
• Berries (cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)

5) Plant Sterols and Stanols

According to a study published in The American Journal of Cardiology, plant sterols and stanols block the absorption of harmful LDL cholesterol- and prevent it from building up and hardening the arteries, causing atherosclerosis.

Plant sterols and stanols are substances found naturally in small amounts in grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits and legumes.
According to the same study, a daily dose of 2-2.5 g of plant sterols can lower LDL as much as 14 percent! (3 servings a day can reduce cholesterol by 20 points)

Since these substances are so effective at lowering cholesterol, manufacturers started adding them to foods like cereals, orange juice, yoghurt and granola bars. But you can also find plant sterols and stanols in the form of a supplement. Check in a health food store near you.

This list shows that lowering cholesterol doesn’t have to be hard or boring. For even more easy, powerful tips to get your cholesterol under control, click here…

Or if you need to lower your blood pressure, click here…