12 Ways to Reduce LDL Cholesterol

Simple lifestyle changes can sometimes be enough to reduce LDL cholesterol back to the normal range. This includes eating heart-healthy foods, exercising regularly, and quitting cigarettes. On top of this, there is evidence that some complementary and alternative therapies, like fenugreek supplements, may help lower LDL cholesterol.

By working with your healthcare provider and regularly monitoring your cholesterol levels—every for to six years for healthy adults and more frequently if you have heart disease or diabetes—you can decide whether to manage your cholesterol naturally or benefit from cholesterol medications.

Eat Monounsaturated Fats

Monosaturated fat is one of two types of healthy fat that should be used in place of unhealthy saturated fat. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), eating monounsaturated fats in moderation lowers LDL cholesterol in your blood as well as the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Foods that are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats include:

• Olives and olive oil
• Safflower oil
• Sesame seeds and sesame oil
• Peanuts
• Almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans
• Canola oil
• Avocados
• Pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil

Eat Polyunsaturated Fats

The second type of healthy fat is polyunsaturated fat. As with monounsaturated fat, it helps reduce LDL cholesterol and provides antioxidants like vitamin E that neutralize free radicals and help protect your cells.

Oils rich in polyunsaturated fat also provide essential fats your body can’t produce on its own, including omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

Great sources of polyunsaturated fat include:

• Sunflower oil
• Corn oil
• Soybean oil
• Flax seeds and flaxseed oil
• Walnuts
• Fish, especially fatty fish like tuna and salmon
• Canola oil

Avoid Trans Fat

Trans fats are unhealthy fats found in many natural and artificial food sources. Small quantities are found in the meat and dairy of ruminant (grass-eating) animals, including cows. Artificial trans fats are commonly found in highly processed, fried, and packaged foods.

Trans fats from artificial foods are known to raise LDL cholesterol levels and your risk of heart disease. Less is known as to whether natural trans fats carry the risks, but it is still best to avoid them by reducing your red meat intake.

You can avoid trans fats by searching for “hydrogenated oils” on ingredient lists. Doughnuts, cookies, crackers, muffins, pies, cakes, and other commercially-fried foods are likely to contain trans fat.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise is one of the most effective ways to lower your LDL cholesterol naturally. Aerobic exercises, such as running, cycling, jogging, and swimming, are especially effective. By getting your heart pumping, you can avoid the build-up of plaque in arteries that contribute to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD).

The AHA recommends getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise (or a combination of both). Your workouts should ideally be spread throughout the week with no more than a one- or two-day gap between them.

Moderate-intensity exercise is when you can talk but cannot sing during exercise. Vigorous intensity means that you are not able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.

Resistance (strength) training can also help by reducing blood pressure and blood sugar, both of which are factors for heart disease. The AHA recommends adding moderate- to high-intensity resistance training at least two days per week.

Lose Weight

Being overweight or having obesity puts you at risk of having high LDL levels. Studies have shown that modest weight loss (between 5% to 10%) significantly reduces both total and LDL cholesterol levels along with another unhealthy lipoprotein called triglycerides.

Effective weight loss involves an improvement in both your diet and physical activity levels. In addition to exercising regularly, you can achieve your weight loss goals by:

• Setting realistic goals: Short-term goals, like losing 3% to 5% of body weight, are more achievable than making drastic changes that you cannot sustain.
• Understanding how much and why you eat: The best way to do this is by keeping a food diary.
• Managing portion sizes: In addition to putting smaller portions on your plate, avoid eating on the run which can cause you to lose track of what you consume.
• Making smart choices: Learn how to make healthy substitutions for some less healthy food, and find nutritious snacks like vegetables and whole grains that make you feel fuller longer.

Quit Smoking

Cigarette smoking is linked to increased cholesterol levels and the formation of a damaging form of LDL called oxidized LDL. The most obvious way to avoid this is to quit cigarettes.

Studies suggest that it may take time for LDL levels to drop, but what you will likely see is a relatively quick rise in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. This is the “good” cholesterol that helps clear “bad” cholesterol from the body.

Before five years, there may be little movement in your LDL cholesterol levels. After five years of quitting cigarettes, LDL levels can drop by as much as 50%. Research also suggests that your risk of heart disease may drop by as much as 47% after just four years.

Drink Alcohol Moderately

There is some evidence that light to moderate alcohol consumption—meaning one serving a day or less for females and one to two servings per day or less for males—can raise “good” HDL cholesterol levels and lower “bad” LDL levels. As such, drinking moderately may be considered cardioprotective.

On the other hand, drinking more than this can not only increase triglyceride levels but also levels of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol. This is an especially “bad” type of LDL that causes plaque build-up and transports triglycerides to tissues where they can cause harm.

The fact that moderate alcohol consumption may be cardioprotective should not suggest that alcohol is “healthy.” Even red wine, which some people believe is heart-healthy, not only increases levels of “good” HDL but also levels of “bad” LDL.

Note that the World Health Organization (WHO) also considers alcohol a carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) and that any amount consumed is considered unsafe.

Eat Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber is a type of dietary fiber found in plant foods, especially fruits, vegetables, oats, and barley. Sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, whole grains, and legumes are all excellent sources of soluble fiber.

Many studies have shown soluble fiber can lower LDL levels along with the risk of heart disease. Furthermore, eating fiber can increase the effectiveness of the statin drugs you may already be taking to treat high cholesterol.

The recommended daily intake for daily fiber is 38 grams per day for adult males and 25 grams per day for adult females.

Take Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar made from fermented apple juice. It is thought to offer many health benefits, including the reduction of cholesterol in your blood.

Even so, the actual effect it has on LDL cholesterol appears mixed. According to a 2021 review of studies in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, the daily consumption of 15 milliliters (one tablespoon) of apple cider vinegar for eight weeks significantly reduced total cholesterol levels but had minimal effect on LDL or HDL levels.

The benefits of apple cider vinegar may be different for people with type 2 diabetes who have trouble managing their blood sugar.

According to a 2023 study in Frontiers of Clinical Diabetes and Healthcare, adults with type 2 diabetes who took 30 milliliters of apple cider vinegar per day for eight weeks had a roughly 20% reduction in LDL levels. Study participants without diabetes saw no such benefits.

Adopt a Plant-Based Diet

Plant-based or vegetarian diets exclude meat and instead place an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. Some vegetarian diets also include dairy products and eggs, while the vegan diet strictly consists of plant foods.

Adopting a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to lower LDL cholesterol, both in the short and long term. By avoiding animal-based proteins (red meat especially), your daily intake of fiber will increase and you will consume little to no saturated fat.

Plant-based diets are also naturally rich in phytosterols. These cholesterol-like compounds are thought to lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Reduce Meat Intake

A diet rich in meat, especially red meat, increases the risk of high LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Across numerous studies, red meats like beef, pork, and lamb have been linked to heart disease due to their high saturated fat content. Compared to white meats (like chicken and turkey), red meats are particularly unhealthy in terms of LDL cholesterol intake.

If you choose to eat meat, try to avoid fatty red meat and opt instead for lean cuts or white meat. The AHA also recommends limiting your total intake to 6 ounces or less per day

Try Supplements

From fiber to omega-3 fatty acids, you can get most cholesterol-lowering nutrients from foods. Many of those same nutrients are also available in supplement form and may help lower LDL cholesterol naturally.

These include the following:

• Soluble fiber supplements can contribute to your daily fiber intake.
• Curcumin is a bright yellow chemical found in turmeric and ginger. It is known to benefit the heart and may help reduce LDL cholesterol.
• Fenugreek may help lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol simultaneously. Fenugreek supplements may be especially effective in people with diabetes.
• Psyllium is a soluble fiber that comes from Plantago seeds. Taking 10 grams of psyllium every day may help lower LDL cholesterol within three weeks.
• Garlic may reduce your LDL cholesterol by as much as 9% when taken daily. Garlic supplements may be more effective for this purpose than raw garlic.
• Red yeast rice contains high levels of a “natural statin” called monacolin K, which may help lower LDL cholesterol levels by 15% to 25% within eight weeks.
• Flaxseed supplements may also help lower LDL cholesterol due to their high polyunsaturated fat content.

It is important to note that no supplement sold in the United States has been approved to treat any medical condition. Regulations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bar any supplement manufacturer from making such claims.

To make an informed choice, speak with your healthcare provider to better understand the potential benefits and risks of any supplement you intend to take.

Summary

Many natural ways to lower your LDL cholesterol will work best if they become part of your lifestyle for the long term.

Eating well, managing your weight, exercising, quitting smoking, and limiting your alcohol intake can lower your LDL cholesterol levels and help keep them in a healthy range. You can also try taking a supplement like red yeast rice or psyllium to help lower LDL cholesterol.