9 Foods That Lower Your LDL Cholesterol — and 6 That Won’t

Can you help lower your cholesterol just by eating certain foods? It’s a question we get all the time because there are a lot of claims online about a wide array of foods. So we looked at 15 of the most popular and dug into what the science says. Nine of them have cholesterol-lowering benefits that are backed up by research. Six do not, and one of these superstars is on nearly every cholesterol-lowering list, and actually raises LDL.

Most of these cholesterol-lowering lists make a common mistake: They imply that the foods on the list actually lower cholesterol. They don’t! No foods lower cholesterol. But certain foods can lower cholesterol by:

– Blocking some cholesterol absorption

– Binding to bile acids so your liver makes less cholesterol to replace them

– Replacing something that would raise cholesterol

How much of a difference will these foods really make on your cholesterol level? We reviewed the research on 15 cholesterol-lowering foods to find out, plus one that is still being argued about.

How to read the numbers below

LDL is measured in mg/dL in US lab reports, and mmol/L in most of the studies we reviewed. (1 mmol/L is approximately 38.7 mg/dL.) We’ve reported results in mg/dL and mmol/L as applicable. Some results are in percent because that’s how the reviews reported them.

LDL: If the dose mattered, we’ve included it in the effect. If there were conflicting results, we’ve noted that instead of choosing the best case scenario.

The nine below are ordered by how strong and consistent the evidence is, not by the size of the number. A big effect measured in three small trials ranks below a smaller one measured across sixty. Where an entry’s figure is a rate rather than a per-serving amount, we say so.

9. Avocado

LDL lowering with avocado ranged from -16.5 mg/dL (in one 2016 analysis) to -3.75 mg/dL (pooled results of ten randomized studies with no study-to-study differences whatsoever).

That wide disagreement between studies is why avocado sits at the bottom of this list.

The take-home message from all reviews though: Avocado appears to be most effective when consumed in place of (not on top of!) saturated fat (e.g. instead of, not with, cheese).

8. Nuts

But it’s not just any nut. Walnuts, pistachios, almonds, you name it. In an analysis of 61 trials, researchers found that eating nuts equivalent to one ounce per day was associated with a reduction in LDL (aka “bad”) cholesterol of 4.8 mg/dL (95% CI 5.5 to 4.2).

What’s more, the dose-response was nonlinear, with larger LDL reductions associated with intakes greater than about 60 grams a day, which is more than double our standard one ounce serving! Bottom line: the dose may matter more than the nut.

Caveat: Nuts are still a good food, but that 4.8 may not be so precise.

7. Tomatoes

But what about foods? Surprisingly, it’s tomatoes.

In a meta-analysis of 21 randomized trials, supplementation with tomatoes significantly lowered LDL levels by 0.22 mmol/L, about 8.5 mg/dL (p=0.006). Most of the trials lasted two to six weeks, with one that lasted six months, so while we know that tomatoes can lower LDL levels, we don’t yet know how long that effect might last.

In the same review, they also looked at lycopene, the antioxidant found in tomatoes. Supplementing with lycopene did not lower LDL levels, although it did lower blood pressure.

6. Beans, Lentils and Chickpeas

A systematic review of 26 randomized controlled trials with a total of 1,037 participants (Canadian Medical Association Journal) found that consuming one serving (130 g) of pulses — beans, lentils or chickpeas — per day decreased LDL cholesterol by 0.17 mmol/L (or 5 percent).

There was no effect on HDL. There was substantial variation in the studies (80 percent heterogeneity), so although the direction of the effect was the same, the magnitude varied from study to study.

Most North Americans would need to more than double their intake to reach one serving.

5. Ground Flaxseed

Buy the seed, not the oil — and grind it, because whole seeds pass through largely intact.

In a dose-response meta-analysis of 31 trials in 1,698 people, flaxseed lowered LDL by 10.51 mg/dL (95% CI 14.96 to 6.06). Lignan supplements, the isolated compounds, did more at 15.47 mg/dL. Flaxseed oil, tested in the same body of research, did nothing at all — which is why it appears later on the list of things that don’t work.

Another meta-analysis that included 28 studies reported that flaxseed decreased LDL cholesterol levels by 0.16 mmol/L (about 6 mg/dL). Although not as impressive as the number above, the results still support the idea that flaxseed can lower LDL cholesterol.

The authors of the second meta-analysis noted that the effect of flaxseed on LDL cholesterol was more prominent among women, especially postmenopausal women, and among individuals with high baseline cholesterol levels. If your cholesterol levels are already within the healthy range, you should keep in mind that the effects of flaxseed on your LDL cholesterol level may not be as dramatic.

4. Olive Oil, but Only as a Swap

Olive oil’s LDL-lowering power doesn’t come from the olive oil. It comes from the saturated fat it’s replacing (usually butter, in people’s heads).

Swapping out one percent of calories from saturated fat and replacing it with polyunsaturated fat drops LDL by about 1.8 mg/dL, and replacing it with monounsaturated fat (olive oil is mostly monounsaturated) drops LDL by 1.3 mg/dL.

And that’s where we see that same trick again, because avocado’s star LDL-lowering quality is that it’s full of monounsaturated fat, as are nuts (to a degree).

Again, the devil’s in the details: Replacing saturated fat with five percent of calories from monounsaturated fats is a pretty reasonable goal, and will have a measurable impact on your LDL. But, as with the saturated fats, what you use olive oil in place of matters.

3. Oats and Barley

Of the whole foods mentioned above, oats seem to be the most reliable. A meta-analysis of 28 randomized controlled trials showed a reduction in LDL of 0.25 mmol/L (95% CI 0.20 to 0.30), or about 10 mg/dL, when at least 3 grams a day of beta-glucan, the soluble fiber found in oats and barley, was added to the diet compared to control. No significant effects were seen on HDL or triglycerides.

Beta-glucan seems to act as a threshold, not a ladder. Trial doses ranged from 3 to 12.4 grams a day, but there was no evidence that anything above 3 grams a day led to further LDL reductions. The LDL lowering effect was greater in those who started out with higher LDL.

One caveat: the authors note that it seems to be high-molecular-weight beta-glucan that is responsible for the LDL lowering effect. Heavily processed oat products may degrade the fiber, so a case could be made for choosing the slower-cooking version.

2. Psyllium and Soluble Fiber Generally

According to a systematic review of 67 trials, LDL goes down by 0.057 mmol/L for every gram of soluble fiber you eat. That’s 2.2 mg/dL per gram, or a total of 22 mg/dL at a typical dose of psyllium (10 grams). That is the largest absolute number on this page, though it comes from a concentrated supplement dose rather than a food, which is why it sits at second rather than first.

However, psyllium isn’t special, there just happens to not be much of a difference between different types of fiber, and psyllium just makes it easier to consume a large amount of it. It’s the most concentrated form of soluble fiber you can get, and it’s convenient, and you can easily consume ten grams of psyllium in a glass of water, but ten grams of psyllium in food would be much more difficult.

Start out with a lower dose and work your way up, otherwise you may experience some gastrointestinal side effects, which is the most common reason people discontinue soluble fiber before seeing any results.

1. Plant Sterols and Stanols

LDL reduction from plant sterol/stanol consumption. The evidence:

• Expert panel analysis of 41 clinical trials: 2 grams per day lowers LDL by ~10 percent, and higher amounts don’t add much benefit.
• A review commissioned by Health Canada (84 trials): LDL reduction of 8.8 percent.
• European Atherosclerosis Society: LDL lowering of 8 to 10 percent, and this effect is additive with statins.

It’s also worth mentioning that we’re going to ignore a commonly cited meta-analysis claiming as much as a 16 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol with plant sterols/stanols. That meta-analysis was funded by a stanol manufacturer, and it’s a figure we haven’t been able to substantiate in any other independent review.

Bottom line: Plant sterols/stanols are consistently associated with a modest reduction in LDL cholesterol, on par with other commonly cited strategies for lowering LDL. But we don’t yet know if the risk reduction will be commensurate.

And 6 That Won’t

They fail in two different ways, and this is important. Some have been repeatedly tested and found to lack an effect. Others have rarely been tested, which doesn’t mean they’re useless but it does mean no one can give you an answer.

1. Fatty Fish

Fish are high in EPA and DHA omega-3s, which can lower triglycerides (bad), but also increase LDL (also bad).

So while fish is an excellent food for lowering triglycerides, it is probably not the best food for lowering LDL.

In a meta-analysis of 47 clinical trials using an average dose of EPA and DHA of 3.25 grams a day, triglycerides were lowered significantly by 0.34 mmol/L, but LDL was increased significantly by 0.06 mmol/L (95% CI 0.03 to 0.09). In another analysis that included only studies that used one type of omega-3 fatty acid, DHA increased LDL by 7.23 mg/dL while EPA decreased LDL slightly, but not significantly.

2. Garlic and Onions

Garlic’s been studied more than almost anything else on this page, which is unfortunate for the people trying to sell you garlic.

A review of 13 placebo-controlled trials found no significant effect on LDL (mean difference 0.01 mmol/L, confidence interval from negative 0.10 to positive 0.11 mmol/L). A larger review of 29 trials also found that while garlic may lower total cholesterol and triglycerides, it probably doesn’t affect LDL.

There are smaller analyses which do find an effect, but the two largest and most rigorous reviews find none. Variations in results seem to be related to differences in garlic preparation, study duration and initial cholesterol levels.

3. Black Tea

Green tea works. Black tea is a coin flip, and the two are worth separating. For green tea, an LDL change estimate based on 31 trials including 3,321 participants was a 4.55 mg/dL reduction (95% CI 6.31 to 2.80). Black tea showed a 4.56 mg/dL reduction in a meta-analysis of 15 RCTs, but with a CI of -10.30 to 1.17.

That CI includes a benefit, no effect, and even a small increase, which is why the authors concluded that there may not be any beneficial effects on cholesterol.

Basically, nearly identical point estimates, but in one case the CI crosses zero and in the other it doesn’t. That’s the difference between an effect and a maybe.

4. Flaxseed Oil

The sharpest item on the list, because its own seed is ranked at #5 above. A review of 28 trials examining whether whole flaxseed or lignan supplements reduce LDL tested flaxseed oil as a third arm.

The oil had no significant effect. This shouldn’t be surprising.

The fiber and lignans reside in the seed; the oil is squeezed out and they are left behind. Same plant, different product, different outcome, and the oil generally commands the higher price.

5. Plain Yogurt

Yogurt is another one of these foods that made it on to the list because of research done using probiotics. While yogurt is a source of probiotics, the research on probiotics and the research on yogurt are not the same thing.

While a meta-analysis of 30 placebo-controlled trials (1,624 people) found that taking a probiotic product reduced LDL by about 7.3 mg/dL on average, the research looking specifically at yogurt (unsweetened) is much more limited.

Unsweetened yogurt is a perfectly good thing to eat. Just don’t expect the yogurt you have in your fridge to have the exact same effect as a specific dose of a specific bacterial strain in a clinical trial.

6. Eggplant, Okra and Leafy Greens

We couldn’t find human studies that measured the effect of eating eggplant or okra on LDL.

So don’t expect a number here. That’s not to say leafy greens don’t lower LDL, just that this hasn’t been properly studied. Eat them for the fiber and everything else they do.

The One That’s Genuinely Unresolved

25 g of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat, may reduce the risk of heart disease. The FDA approved that health claim in 1999.

In October 2017 the FDA proposed removing it, due to inconsistent results on LDL cholesterol seen in trials since its original publication, though it’s possible that a weaker, “qualified” version of the claim could still be allowed.

The proposal was never finalized. As of October 2026 the authorized claim is still on the books at 21 CFR 101.82, eight years after the FDA moved to withdraw it. Soy protein isn’t a bad food to eat, and it probably does have a slight LDL-lowering effect, but it’s the one food for which there’s still disagreement, even among regulators. Health Canada, for example, approved a heart-health claim for soy protein in 2015, and a similar claim has been approved in about a dozen other countries.

What This Actually Adds Up To

If stacked together by eating beans most days, developing a serious soluble fiber habit, adding sterols and replacing (not just reducing) saturated fat, these small effects add up and can result in a pretty decent LDL reduction.

But none of them should take the place of a discussion with your doctor or a reason to alter or stop taking your medication. Looking for more inspiration? We also asked people with high cholesterol what they did and what worked for them. You can read their responses in what people with high cholesterol say made the biggest difference.

Finally, you’re also now armed with enough information to know that any list claiming to rid your body of cholesterol should immediately prompt you to close the tab.

Martha "Marti" Jones

Martha ‘Marti’ Jones founded Fitness Four after three decades of living with IBS, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and pernicious anemia.