Heart Health & Nutrition

High cholesterol is one of the most common — and most manageable — health concerns. The good news? You don’t need a complete lifestyle overhaul to see meaningful results. A handful of targeted dietary changes, backed by solid research, can make a significant dent in your numbers. Here’s what you need to know.

The 6 Core Steps

STEP 1   ↓ 5–10%

Increase Your Fiber

Aim for 20 grams of fiber daily — half soluble, half insoluble. Work up toward 40 grams as your body adjusts. Soluble fiber (the kind that makes oatmeal sticky) is especially effective at lowering LDL cholesterol.

STEP 2   ↓ 10%

Eat Foods High in Plant Sterols

Target at least 2 grams of plant sterols daily. Sterols are the plant version of cholesterol — they trick your body into producing less of its own. Many nuts, seeds, and fortified foods are excellent sources.

STEP 3   ↓ 8%

Eat Nuts

Copious research confirms that eating nuts lowers cholesterol. Aim for 1–2 servings daily, especially as snacks. Though high in calories and fat, the fats in nuts are heart-healthy.

Do not eat nuts if you have a nut allergy.

STEP 4   ↓ 3–10%

Eat Soy Protein

The more you replace animal-based protein with soy, the greater the benefit. Research shows soy protein lowers bad (LDL) cholesterol and other harmful blood fats. The average person needs about 50g of protein per day.

Do not eat soy if you have a soy allergy.

STEP 5   ↓ Triglycerides

Eat Fish

Two servings per week of oily, cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel, or sardines) improves your lipid profile — particularly triglycerides. The benefit comes from essential fatty acids (EFAs), also found in flaxseed and chia seeds.

STEP 6   ↓ 10%

Improve Your General Diet

Keep fat below 30% of daily calories, saturated fat below 7–10%, and dietary cholesterol below 200–300mg per day. These adjustments alone can produce meaningful cholesterol reductions.

Power Foods That Do Double Duty

Several foods check multiple boxes at once — delivering fiber, plant sterols, and healthy fats in a single serving. These are your go-to cholesterol-fighting staples:

Nuts (especially pistachios)  One ounce of pistachios (about 49 kernels) delivers ~100mg of plant sterols, nearly 3 grams of fiber, and only 158 calories. They simultaneously lower cholesterol and boost fiber — an ideal snack.

Ground Flaxseed  Four tablespoons of ground flaxseed provide ~100mg of plant sterols, 7.6 grams of fiber, and only 148 calories with just 1.2g of saturated fat. Aim for 4–8 tablespoons daily — it also helps lower blood pressure.

Chia Seeds  Two tablespoons of ground chia seeds pack nearly 6 grams of fiber, essential fatty acids, just 64 calories, and zero saturated fat. Aim for 2–4 tablespoons per day.

Oats  Half a cup of uncooked oats contains 4 grams of fiber (2g soluble), almost no saturated fat, and only 150 calories. Simple, affordable, and effective — make it a daily habit.

Soy Protein Powder  A single serving provides about 23mg of isoflavones (which actively combat cholesterol), roughly 110 calories, and minimal fat. An easy way to add heart-healthy protein to smoothies or recipes.

Want Even Faster Results?

A plant-based (vegan) diet with 50% raw and 50% cooked vegetables, and very low added oil, has been shown to rapidly improve cholesterol levels — and has the potential to actually reverse atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque in arteries). This approach takes greater commitment, but the results can be dramatic. Even partial adoption of these principles will yield noticeable benefits.

Remember, these dietary changes work best as part of a broader approach to heart health that includes regular physical activity, stress management, and regular check-ins with your healthcare provider. Start with one or two of these steps, get comfortable, and build from there.

The Bottom Line

Heart disease is still the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. Lowering your cholesterol is just one of the ways to reduce your heart disease risk.

You deserve to know your real risk. And you deserve a provider who will coach you through changes that will reduce that risk.