Foods That Lower Cholesterol: 12 Backed by LDL Trials

By Dr. Sarah Kim · Published November 13, 2026 · 16 min read

The foods that lower cholesterol most reliably are oats, barley, beans and lentils, nuts, soy foods, psyllium and foods fortified with plant sterols, together with liquid vegetable oils used in place of butter and other saturated fats. Each one lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol by a few percent, up to about 10%, at the right daily amount; combined, they have lowered it by about 13% in people cooking for themselves and by close to 30% under metabolically controlled trial conditions.

This guide lists 12 foods with controlled-trial evidence for lowering LDL, the daily amount behind each result, the foods that push LDL up, and how fast a change in diet shows up on a blood test. It is narrower than our list of heart healthy foods, which covers cardiovascular health in general: everything here was tested against an LDL number.

Foods That Lower Cholesterol at a Glance

The table shows the daily amount tested in trials and the average LDL drop it produced. These are the best single-food numbers available, but they come from different trials with different people and control diets, so read them as rough sizes rather than results you can add together.

The mg/dL values in parentheses are our conversions from mmol/L (multiply by 38.6, from the 0.0259 factor in the pooled nut analysis). Most results compare the food with a similar diet that lacks it.

The pattern is clear: each food on its own produces a modest drop, but the effects come from different mechanisms, so stacking several works. That is the idea behind the Portfolio diet covered below.

How Cholesterol Lowering Foods Work

Cholesterol lowering foods act through three main routes, which is why combining them adds up:

• Binding cholesterol in the gut. Viscous soluble fibers (beta-glucan in oats and barley, psyllium, pectin, the fiber in beans) form a gel that traps bile acids and cholesterol so more leaves the body. Our guide to soluble fiber foods ranks the best sources by grams per serving.
• Blocking absorption. Plant sterols and stanols look like cholesterol and compete with it for absorption. The European Atherosclerosis Society says 2 g a day inhibits cholesterol absorption enough to lower LDL by 8–10%.
• Changing the fats you eat. Saturated fat raises LDL and unsaturated fat does not, so replacing butter, fatty meat and coconut oil with nuts, seeds and liquid plant oils lowers LDL by swap rather than by addition.

Plant protein from soy and pulses adds a smaller effect on top.

12 LDL Cholesterol Lowering Foods

Each entry gives the amount that worked in trials and the simplest way to reach it.

1. Oats

Oats are among the best-studied cholesterol-lowering foods. In a meta-analysis of 28 randomized trials, 3 g or more of oat beta-glucan a day lowered LDL by 0.25 mmol/L (about 9.7 mg/dL) without changing HDL or triglycerides. The drop was larger in people who started with higher LDL, and it did not depend on whether the trial lasted 2 or 12 weeks.

The 3 g target is the same one the FDA uses for its soluble fiber health claim. Rolled oats must contain at least 4% beta-glucan to qualify, so about 75 g of dry rolled oats supplies 3 g (our calculation). One meta-analysis of fiber trials gave the example of three 28 g servings of oatmeal a day. Oat bran is more concentrated: the same rule sets its minimum at 5.5% beta-glucan.

2. Barley

Barley carries the same type of beta-glucan as oats and works about as well. A meta-analysis of 11 trials found barley and barley beta-glucan lowered LDL by 0.27 mmol/L (about 10.4 mg/dL) compared with control diets. The FDA claim lets oats and barley count together toward the 3 g, so a barley soup at lunch and oatmeal at breakfast share the load. Pearl barley and barley flakes are the easiest forms to cook with.

3. Beans, Lentils, Chickpeas and Peas

Pulses, the dried seeds of legumes, lower LDL at about one serving a day. In a meta-analysis of 26 randomized trials with 1,037 participants, a median 130 g of pulses a day lowered LDL by 0.17 mmol/L (about 6.6 mg/dL) compared with diets without them. Beans also replace some meat on the plate, which removes saturated fat at the same time. Canned beans count.

4. Psyllium Husk

Psyllium is the soluble fiber in many fiber supplements, and it showed the largest average effect of the fiber foods on this list. A 2018 meta-analysis of 28 trials with 1,924 participants found that a median of about 10 g of psyllium a day lowered LDL by 0.33 mmol/L (about 12.7 mg/dL), along with non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. The FDA claim is based on 7 g a day of soluble fiber from psyllium husk.

Mix each dose with at least 8 ounces of liquid, as the MedlinePlus psyllium guide instructs. Psyllium can affect how some drugs are absorbed: MedlinePlus says not to take digoxin, aspirin or nitrofurantoin within 3 hours of it, so ask a pharmacist about timing for your medicines.

5. Nuts

Nuts lower LDL in a dose-related way, and the type of nut matters little. A meta-analysis of 61 trials of walnuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews and other tree nuts found each 1 oz (28 g) serving a day lowered LDL by 4.8 mg/dL, with stronger effects at 60 g or more a day. A pooled analysis of 25 trials found that 67 g a day lowered LDL by 10.2 mg/dL, a 7.4% drop, and different types of nuts had similar effects.

The catch is energy: nuts are dense in calories, so they work best in place of chips, crackers or sweets rather than on top of them.

6. Soy Foods

Soy protein lowers LDL modestly. A meta-analysis of the 46 trials the FDA identified while considering whether to revoke the soy heart health claim found that a median 25 g of soy protein a day lowered LDL by 4.76 mg/dL, about 3–4%, compared with other proteins. About three in four trials showed a reduction, though only a minority were statistically significant on their own.

Tofu, tempeh, edamame and soy milk all count. Protein per serving varies widely by product, so check the label to see how close a serving gets you to 25 g.

7. Foods Fortified With Plant Sterols and Stanols

Plant sterol and stanol fortified foods give the largest single-food effect: 8–10% lower LDL at 2 g a day, according to the European Atherosclerosis Society consensus panel. Ordinary food can't get you there. A 2021 review put typical European intake from vegetables, oils, nuts and grains at about 250–400 mg a day, which is why sterols and stanols are added to foods such as spreads, milk and yogurt drinks.

Two caveats from the same panel. Sterols lower LDL on top of a statin, but there are no randomized trials with heart attack or stroke outcomes to prove the benefit. The panel suggests them for people with high cholesterol who don't qualify for medication, or as an add-on for people on statins who haven't reached their target, not as a replacement.

8. Olive, Canola and Other Liquid Plant Oils

Liquid vegetable oils lower LDL when they replace saturated fat. Based on controlled feeding trials, replacing 5% of daily calories from saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat (sunflower, soybean, corn, walnut oil) lowers LDL by about 9.0 mg/dL, and replacing it with monounsaturated fat (olive, canola, avocado oil) by about 6.5 mg/dL, according to National Lipid Association figures summarised in a 2018 review.

The swap matters more than the oil itself. The American Heart Association's 2017 advisory on dietary fats found that trials replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated vegetable oil reduced cardiovascular disease by about 30%, while replacing it with refined carbohydrates and sugars did not. Our guide to healthy fats compares the main oils and spreads.

9. Avocado

Avocado adds an LDL effect beyond its fat profile in one well-controlled trial. In a randomized crossover feeding study of 45 adults with overweight or obesity, a cholesterol-lowering diet with one Hass avocado (136 g) a day lowered LDL by 13.5 mg/dL from baseline, compared with 8.3 mg/dL on a diet with the same fatty acids from oils and 7.4 mg/dL on a lower-fat diet. It's a single five-week trial, so treat avocado as a good replacement for butter or cheese rather than a treatment.

10. Ground Flaxseed

Whole flaxseed lowers LDL slightly; flaxseed oil does not. A meta-analysis of 28 studies found whole flaxseed lowered LDL by 0.16 mmol/L (about 6.2 mg/dL), while flaxseed oil showed no significant effect. The effect was larger in women, especially after menopause, and in people with higher starting cholesterol. Buy it ground, or grind it yourself, and stir it into oatmeal or yogurt.

11. Whole Grains

Whole grains in place of refined grains lower LDL a little, and whole-grain oats had the largest effect on total cholesterol. A meta-analysis of 24 randomized studies found whole-grain diets lowered LDL by 0.09 mmol/L (about 3.5 mg/dL) compared with refined-grain diets, and longer studies showed larger effects. Brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, bulgur and whole-grain bread are easy swaps.

12. Apples, Citrus and Other Fruit Rich in Pectin

Pectin, the soluble fiber in apples, citrus fruit, pears and berries, lowers LDL about as much per gram as oat or psyllium fiber. A meta-analysis of 67 controlled trials found that soluble fiber from oats, psyllium and pectin had similar effects, about 0.057 mmol/L (2.2 mg/dL) lower LDL per gram. The same authors noted the effect is small within practical intakes, so fruit is a useful contributor rather than a main lever.

What About Fatty Fish?

Fatty fish is good for the heart, but it is not an LDL-lowering food. Omega-3 fats mainly lower triglycerides. Even at prescription doses of 4 g a day of EPA plus DHA, the AHA's 2019 advisory notes that EPA plus DHA products can raise LDL in people with very high triglycerides, and that non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B fell only modestly in the largest trials.

The AHA still recommends one to two seafood meals a week to lower the risk of heart failure, coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke and sudden cardiac death, especially when fish replaces less healthy foods. Salmon in place of a steak lowers saturated fat, which helps LDL indirectly. If you are weighing fish oil capsules, our omega-3 supplements guide explains the doses and evidence.

The Portfolio Diet: Combining Foods for a Bigger Drop

The Portfolio diet puts the strongest cholesterol-lowering foods together in one eating pattern. A 2018 meta-analysis describes it as a plant-based pattern that combines nuts, plant protein, viscous fiber and plant sterols, on top of a diet low in saturated fat. Across 7 trial comparisons with 439 people, it lowered LDL by about 17% more than the low-saturated-fat diet alone, along with triglycerides, blood pressure and C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation.

Those numbers set expectations. Diet alone can make a meaningful dent, roughly 24 mg/dL in the six-month trial, but that was less than half the drop seen in the tightly controlled one-month trial, and adherence was the deciding factor.

Foods to Avoid With High Cholesterol

The foods that raise LDL most are those high in saturated fat, along with any remaining trans fat and unfiltered coffee. Cutting these works alongside adding the foods above.

• Saturated fat. The NHLBI points to fatty cuts of meat, dairy products and desserts as the main sources; processed meat, butter and cheese are common examples. The 2013 AHA/ACC lifestyle guideline, as summarised in a 2018 review of saturated fat evidence, advises people who need to lower LDL to aim for 5–6% of calories from saturated fat; in feeding studies, cutting from about 14–15% to 5–6% lowered LDL by 11–13 mg/dL. On a 2,000-calorie diet, 6% is about 13 g a day (our calculation).
• Coconut and palm oil. These tropical oils are high in saturated fat. A meta-analysis of 16 trials found coconut oil raised LDL by 10.47 mg/dL compared with non-tropical vegetable oils.
• Trans fat. The FDA determined in 2015 that partially hydrogenated oils, the main source of industrial trans fat, are no longer generally recognized as safe, with compliance required by June 18, 2018. Ingredient lists still show "partially hydrogenated" if a product contains it.
• Unfiltered coffee. In a meta-analysis of 12 trials, coffee raised LDL by 5.4 mg/dL on average, with larger effects from unfiltered brews such as boiled or French press coffee. Paper-filtered coffee is the safer habit.

Dietary Cholesterol and Eggs

The evidence on dietary cholesterol is mixed. The AHA science advisory on dietary cholesterol found that observational studies generally don't link it to cardiovascular disease, yet most intervention studies show that intakes above today's average raise total or LDL cholesterol. Rather than a numeric cap, the AHA recommends Mediterranean- or DASH-style patterns, which are naturally modest in cholesterol. Many foods high in cholesterol, such as fatty meats and full-fat dairy, are also high in saturated fat.

A Day of LDL-Lowering Meals

You don't need every food on the list. A day built around four or five of them works toward most of the trial amounts:

This day works toward the trial amounts above: oats and barley toward 3 g of beta-glucan, a serving of pulses, a serving of nuts, and soy protein from soy milk and tofu. Fiber and protein per serving vary by brand, so check labels for exact amounts.

To turn a day like this into a week of meals and a shopping list, our free meal planner with grocery list lays it out.

Nuts, oils and avocado are energy-dense, and weight matters for LDL too: the NHLBI notes that losing 3% to 5% of body weight can lower LDL in adults with overweight or obesity. If you are adding these foods while keeping an eye on your weight, Caloria, the AI calorie tracker, logs the calories, protein, carbs and fat of each meal from a photo; it doesn't track fiber, saturated fat or cholesterol, so your lab results stay the measure for LDL.

Cholesterol-Lowering Foods and Your Medication

Food and medication work together, not as substitutes. The NHLBI says cholesterol medicines work best alongside lifestyle changes. Three practical points:

If you have familial hypercholesterolemia (an inherited cause of very high LDL) or existing heart disease, diet is a support for treatment, not an alternative. Our heart healthy diet plan puts these foods into a longer-term eating pattern.

How Quickly Diet Lowers LDL and Where to Start

LDL responds to diet within weeks. In the 2003 Portfolio trial, the drop was measured at two and four weeks, and the oat meta-analysis found no difference between trials lasting 2 weeks and those lasting 12. What decides the long-term result is whether you keep eating this way: in the six-month real-world trial, adherence tracked with the size of the drop.

A sensible order to start in:

• Swap first: butter, fatty meat and coconut oil out; liquid plant oils, nuts and pulses in.
• Add the fiber: oats or barley daily, toward 3 g of beta-glucan, plus beans or lentils most days.
• Stack the rest: soy foods, ground flaxseed and, with your doctor's agreement, a sterol-fortified food.
• Retest: ask your doctor when to recheck your lipids, so you can see what the changes did.