High Cholesterol? Eat These 5 Foods To Beat It Back

High cholesterol is one of those health problems that can creep up on you. You can’t feel it and you can't always see it -- while being overweight is certainly a risk factor for the condition, being skinny is no insurance against it. In fact, you could be going about your business, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight, until one day you go to the doctor, and -- BAM -- find out your unexpected high cholesterol diagnosis is caused by your diet.

Thankfully you can easily decrease your cholesterol level by making a few not-so-painful diet adjustments. High cholesterol is caused by the build up of low density lipoproteins in the walls of your arteries, according to the Mayo Clinic. Foods high in fiber and omega 3s reduce this fatty buildup.

Harvard Medical School's publication, HEALTHbeat, has recently compiled a list of five foods that help lower your cholesterol.

1. Oats

Oats help lower your cholesterol because they contain soluble fiber, according to HEALTHbeat. Add a bowl of Cheerios or oatmeal to your breakfast diet and help lower your cholesterol.

2. Beans

Like oats, beans are also “especially rich in soluable fiber" that help lower your cholesterol, according to HEALTHbeat. In addition, beans help you lose weight as they take a long time to digest, and thus keep you fuller longer. There are a wide variety of beans like lentils or garbanzos that you can add to soups and salads.

3. Nuts

Several studies have shown that nuts help lower cholesterol and are good for the heart, HEALTHbeat reports.

4. Foods Containing Sterols And Stanols

"Sterols and stanols extracted from plants gum up the body's ability to absorb cholesterol from food," according to HEALTHbeat. You can find sterols and stanols in an increasing amount of foods like margarine, granola and chocolate. Check food labels to see if they contain these helpful plant substances.

5. Fatty Fish

Are you a sushi fan? If so, you’re in luck -- fish like salmon and tuna contain cholesterol lowering omega 3s. If you typically eat meat for protein, try fish instead, as meat increases your cholesterol.

- Huffingtonpost.com