5 Ways to Score Lower Cholesterol

By EatingWell Editors, "Our Heart-Health Playbook," January/February 2010

Easy tips for lowering your cholesterol and getting your heart in shape.

3. Eat at Least 25 Grams of Fiber Daily

Studies link a high fiber diet with a lower risk of heart disease—one reason Bonci suggests that players, and everyone, reach for fiber rich foods all day. Soluble fiber in oats, beans and citrus fruits, like oranges, helps reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. Opting for whole grains, such as brown rice and whole wheat pasta, boosts your intake of total fiber (by way of insoluble fiber, which is also good for digestion) and can decrease levels of triglycerides, another “unhealthy” fat in the blood, as a diet rich in refined carbohydrates may stoke the body’s production of triglycerides.

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