Most people know that butter raises LDL (lousy!) cholesterol level. Butter’s saturated fats does the trick. So does stick margarine because of their trans fats, present because “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” is in the ingredient list).
But most people don’t know that Take Control Margarine and Benecol Margarine actively lower cholesterol, according to a Mayo Clinic review, because of added plant sterols. And in Sweden, cholesterol-lowering Becel Pro.activ milk and Pro.activ margarine, do the same. You need 2 or 3 pats per day, should not fry with the margarine, and should choose the “light” version, for calories’ sake.
In both the U.S. and in Sweden, the cholesterol-lowering margarines and milk are in the dairy section in your supermarket or online. Control your cholesterol with food!
And my patients who want to lower cholesterol with soluble fiber foods look to me to interpret the USDA database of high fiber foods. It�s free here: see MORE below for a bigger, better listing of the best foods for fiber…which, by the way, works for weight loss as well.
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 16-1
(g) Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure, sorted by nutrient content Fiber, total dietaryThe first number is calories; the second is the serving size; the third is the fiber grams, as above too.
Barley, pearled, raw 200 1 cup 31.200
Bulgur, dry 140 1 cup 25.620
Beans, baked, canned, with franks 259 1 cup 17.871
Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, canned 256 1 cup 16.384
Peas, split, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 196 1 cup 16.268
Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 198 1 cup 15.642
Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 172 1 cup 14.964
Wheat flour, whole-grain 120 1 cup 14.640
Oat bran, raw 94 1 cup 14.476
Dates, deglet noor 178 1 cup 14.240
Beans, pinto, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 171 1 cup 14.022
Refried beans, canned (includes USDA commodity) 252 1 cup 13.356
Lima beans, large, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 188 1 cup 13.160
Beans, baked, canned, with pork and sweet sauce 253 1 cup 13.156
Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 177 1 cup 13.098
Beans, baked, canned, plain or vegetarian 254 1 cup 12.700
Beans, white, mature seeds, canned 262 1 cup 12.576
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked,boiled, without salt 1 cup 12.464
Beans, great northern, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 177 1 cup 12.390
Beans, baked, canned, with pork and tomato sauce 253 1 cup 12.144
Buckwheat flour, whole-groat 120 1 cup 12.000
Tomato products, canned, paste, without salt added 262 1 cup 11.790
Beans, navy, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 182 1 cup 11.648
Lima beans, large, mature seeds, canned 241 1 cup 11.568
Cowpeas, common (blackeyes, crowder, southern), mature seeds,
cooked, boiled, without salt172 1 cup 11.180
Soup, bean with ham, canned, chunky, ready-to-serve, commercial 243 1 cup 11.178
Raspberries, frozen, red, sweetened 250 1 cup 11.000
Cowpeas (blackeyes), immature seeds, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained,
ithout salt 1 cup 10.880
Lima beans, immature seeds, frozen, baby, cooked, boiled, drained,
without salt180 1 cup 10.800
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, canned 240 1 cup 10.560
Soybeans, mature cooked, boiled, without salt 172 1 cup 10.320
Cornmeal, degermed, enriched, yellow 138 1 cup 10.212
Pears, asian, raw 275 1 pear 9.900
Lima beans, immature seeds, frozen, fordhook, cooked, boiled,
drained, without salt170 1 cup 9.860
Cornmeal, self-rising, degermed, enriched, yellow 138 1 cup 9.798
Cereals ready-to-eat, KELLOGG, KELLOGG’S ALL-BRAN Original 30 1/2 cup 9.600
Artichokes, (globe or french), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 168 1 cup 9.072
Cornmeal, whole-grain, yellow 122 1 cup 8.906
Peas, green, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 160 1 cup 8.800
Couscous, dry 173 1 cup 8.650
oup, bean with pork, canned, prepared with equal volume water,commercial 1 cup 8.602
Cowpeas (Blackeyes), immature seeds, cooked, boiled, drained,without salt165 1 cup 8.250
Chili con carne with beans, canned entree 222 1 cup 8.214
Bulgur, cooked 182 1 cup 8.190
Vegetables, mixed, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 182 1 cup 8.008
Raspberries, raw 123 1 cup 7.995
Cowpeas, common (blackeyes, crowder, southern), mature seeds,
canned, plain240 1 cup 7.920
Plums, dried (prunes), stewed, without added sugar 248 1 cup 7.688
Blackberries, raw 144 1 cup 7.632
Soybeans, green, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 180 1 cup 7.560
Nuts, chestnuts, european, roasted 143 1 cup 7.293
ereals ready-to-eat, KELLOGG, KELLOGG’S RAISIN BRAN 61 1 cup 7.259
Pumpkin, canned, without salt 245 1 cup 7.105
Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 190 1 cup 7.030
Peas, green, canned, regular pack, drained solids 170 1 cup 6.970
Artichokes, (globe or french), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 120 1 medium 6.480
Brussels sprouts, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 155 1 cup 6.355
Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked 140 1 cup 6.300
Barley, pearled, cooked 157 1 cup 5.96
Sauerkraut, canned, solids and liquids 236 1 cup 5.900
Sweetpotato, canned, syrup pack, drained solids 196 1 cup 5.880
Squash, winter, all varieties, cooked, baked, without salt 205 1 cup 5.740
Oat bran, cooked 219 1 cup 5.694
Parsnips, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 156 1 cup 5.616
Turnip greens, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 164 1 cup 5.576
Soup, PROGRESSO HEALTHY CLASSICS LENTIL, canned, readyto-
serve242 1 cup 5.566
Broccoli, frozen, chopped, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 184 1 cup 5.520
Papayas, raw 304 1 papaya 5.472
Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw 539 1 head 5.390
Raisins, seedless 145 1 cup 5.365
Collards, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 190 1 cup 5.320
Cereals ready-to-eat, KRAFT, POST THE ORIGINAL SHREDDED
WHEAT Cereal 2 biscuits 5.290
Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 184 1 cup 5.152
Broccoli, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 156 1 cup 5.148
Pears, raw 166 1 pear 5.146
Spinach, canned, drained solids 214 1 cup 5.136