Natural Heart Healers
Top 10 Heart Healers
Provided by Prevention
New plant compounds in these healthy, cholesterol-lowering foods slash your risk of heart disease by 20 percent. What to buy and how to eat them.
How do you eat them?
Stick to 2 g a day; getting more may actually reduce the positive effects, says Kendall. And once you start eating sterol-fortified foods, don't stop--otherwise your LDL levels will head back up. Follow these guidelines: Split up your 2 g daily goal "Have about 1 g at breakfast, and then another at either lunch or dinner," says Keenan. This not only helps prevent absorption of the cholesterol in your meal but also blocks the cholesterol your body manufactures during digestion--which amounts to about 80% of your total count.
Use them as substitutes
If a food you already eat comes in a sterol-fortified version, use that product instead. Otherwise, try to cut an equivalent number of calories elsewhere in your diet. Because sterol-fortified foods aren't necessarily low cal, they may cause harmful weight gain if you aren't mindful of how much you're eating.
Include them as part of a low-fat, low-cholesterol, high-fiber diet
That will reduce your risk of heart disease even more. Although sterols and stanols do give your heart a boost, they aren't your only route to good health. See "Moves to Cut LDL 30%" below for ideal eating rules for your heart.
Heart Health For You!
For an extended list of sterol-fortified foods and a sample cholesterol-cutting menu, and to create and print a customized grocery list, visit www.prevention.com/heartsmartfoods.
Nature's Top 10
Fortified products may offer a heftier dose, but these natural foods have some sterols plus other benefits:
1. Corn oil It's a good source of healthy polyunsaturated fat, which helps cut cholesterol.
0.13 g* per 1 Tbsp
2. Sunflower oil High in monounsaturated fat, it lowers risk of heart disease and provides nutrients to keep cells healthy.
0.1 g* per 1 Tbsp
3. Beans They're full of fiber; studies show fiber-rich foods help lower your heart attack risk.
0.07 g* per 1/2 c
4. Corn It contains folate, a B vitamin that reduces damage to blood vessels.
0.06 g* per 1/2 c
5. Peanut Butter The protein keeps you feeling full, which helps keep weight in check.
0.05 g* per 2 Tbsp
6. Olive Oil An excellent source of good monounsaturated fats, which help lower bad LDL cholesterol and raise good HDL cholesterol.
0.03 g* per 1 Tbsp
7. Almonds The monounsaturated fats and vitamin E work together to cut cholesterol.
0.02 g* per 1 oz
8. Orange This fruit is an excellent source of immune-boosting vitamin C.
0.02 g* per 1 small
9. Apple It provides filling, waist-friendly fiber.
0.01 g* per 1 small
10. Avocado Known for the monounsaturated fat, it also contains potassium to help regulate blood pressure.
0.008 g* per 1 oz
*Amount of natural sterols present
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