Build these into your diet and watch your "bad" cholesterol crumble.
Lean Beef
Yes, it’s true: Even beef can give bad cholesterol a gut-punch, says a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Study participants ate portions of 4.0 and 5.4 ounces of lean beef daily, and saw decreases in “bad” LDL cholesterol of up to 10 percent when combined with a healthy diet.
What’s the best way to prepare that beef? Pick up Grill This, Not That for dozens of healthy, delicious recipes.
Soy Protein
Toss some chickpeas on that chicken salad. A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology found that soy protein is more effective than milk protein at lowering non-HDL cholesterol.
Almonds
Just a handful of almonds not only lowers your cholesterol, it also provides a whopping dose of Vitamin E, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. That’s good news: The average guy gets only about half of his required intake per day, said the National Academy of Sciences.
Pistachios
Pistachios not only wreak havoc on your LDL, they also supply much-needed antioxidants that you’d normally get from vegetables and brightly-colored fruits, according to researchers at Penn State. Benefits like those are among the reasons we included them in our Men’s Health Nut Mix.
Tomato Juice
It took people just one glass of tomato juice and 2 tablespoons of ketchup every day for 3 weeks to cut LDL levels by an average of 8.5 percent, according to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Stay up-to-date on the biggest health and wellness news with our weekly recap.