You don’t need a doctor to lower cholesterol levels.  Surprised?  Well most people are, because as a community, as a nation, we have been trained to believe that any medical condition is best treated with prescription drugs, doctors’ approvals, and otherwise by paying more money and spending more time.  But with cholesterol, you don’t have to go through those steps.  Most doctors just end up recommending that you use diet and exercise anyway.  So the question becomes, what is the best diet to lower cholesterol levels?

That is a tricky question.  After all, it was a certified doctor that came up with the Atkins diet.  It was also a certified doctor, a heart specialist in fact, who created the South Beach Diet, also centered around a low carb lifestyle I might add.  And yet, controversially, every other health expert has come out saying that those diets are often high in fat and actually raise cholesterol and heart problems, despite the fact that users are actually losing weight.

So what’s the truth?  The truth is that you can’t actually lower your cholesterol with a low carb diet.  In fact you would do more harm than good.  Instead, you should stick to a good carbs diet.  Yes, you can still eat meat, and in fact, you should focus on those that are actually based on good fats like omega 3 fatty acids, which would definitely include salmon for example. 

But the more important thing is to focus on fruits and vegetables.  It’s not the lack of fat in them that lowers your cholesterol.  It is actually all the antioxidants that actively fight cholesterol, which is obviously a big deal.  Eating a diet largely based on fruits and vegetables makes a huge difference.  If you are looking for the best diet to lower cholesterol levels, the important thing is to not get a one track mind.  Remember you also have to regulate and even raise your good cholesterol levels.