Oatmeal is a tried-and-true breakfast food. It’s easy to make, and it’s often heart-friendly. Research consistently links the minerals and high fiber content, specifically beta-glucan, to helping keep cholesterol levels in check. However, you may want variety (or not like oatmeal). Then what should you eat for breakfast to manage cholesterol?
It’s an important question, since so much of the guidance on cholesterol and diet focuses on what to avoid.
“Knowing what you can eat empowers you to actively improve your cardiovascular system rather than just defensively trying to avoid damage,” explains Dr. Heather Shenkman, MD, an interventional cardiologist and member of the 1MD Nutrition Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr. Shenkman encourages people to eat a mostly plant-based diet that’s rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains and seeds.
“This diet actually provides some of the tools your body needs to sweep away excess cholesterol, reduce inflammation and heal your arteries,” she says. “If we only focus on removing saturated fats, we miss the opportunity to introduce cardioprotective nutrients that proactively lower your risk of heart disease.”
Also, cholesterol itself isn’t a villain. It’s a waxy, fat-like substance that our livers naturally produce.
“It is necessary to build cells, make hormones and produce vitamin D,” Dr. Shenkman says. “The problem arises when we have too much LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, which can lead to atherosclerosis: the dangerous buildup of plaque in our arteries.”
Since our bodies already make the cholesterol we need, too much dietary cholesterol and saturated fat from animal proteins and processed foods can overload our systems and raise these “bad” cholesterol levels. But consuming a mostly plant-based diet provides protections—and even benefits.
Dr. Shenkman reveals the one breakfast food she recommends to patients, calling it a “powerhouse” for cholesterol.
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Adding This 1 Breakfast Food Is a ‘Powerhouse’ for Cholesterol, Cardiologist Says
As a cardiologist, Dr. Shenkman knows that ground flaxseed has fiber, healthy fats and antioxidants, making it a great addition to a cholesterol-friendly breakfast.
You may have heard of flaxseed, but it’s no longer only sold at health stores. Instead, you can now find it regularly at many big-box grocery stores. It also comes from one of the world’s oldest cultivated crops—the flax plant (Linum usitatissimum). It’s slightly nutty and earthy, and Dr. Shenkman says it blends easily into smoothies and baked goods without overpowering the dish.
“Ground flaxseed is the whole seed that has been milled into a fine powder,” Dr. Shenkman says. “We prefer it ground up because whole flaxseeds can pass straight through your digestive tract completely undigested, meaning you won’t absorb any of their heart-healthy nutrients.”
That said, it’s not a cure-all for cholesterol. “No single miracle cure exists for cholesterol, and I always caution my patients against relying on one ‘superfood’ to fix their heart health,” she says.
Dr. Shenkman says there are many risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including genetics, so lifestyle changes aren’t always enough.
“Natural foods and supplements are meant to support healthy levels, not replace necessary medical therapy,” Dr. Shenkman adds. “If a patient has a severe risk profile and truly needs to be on a lipid-lowering medication, I will absolutely recommend that first and foremost.”
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3 Ways Flaxseed Contributes to Better Cholesterol Numbers
Ground flaxseed may not look like much. But in those little grains, your heart will find fiber, antioxidants and fats and love it. Here’s why.
1. Flaxseed has fiber
Oatmeal isn’t the only fiber-filled breakfast food. Dr. Shenkman says that ground flaxseed is an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fiber.
“The soluble fiber, mucilage gums, is the true powerhouse because it dissolves into water to form a gel-like substance in your digestive tract,” she notes.
Dr. Shenkman explains that this gel binds cholesterol and bile acids (which help digest fat) and removes them from your body when you go to the bathroom. As a result, your liver pulls more “bad” cholesterol (LDL) from your blood to make new bile acids, which can lower your cholesterol levels over time.
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2. It has healthy fats
Dr. Shenkman describes flaxseeds as one of the richest plant sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), “a powerful type of omega-3 fatty acid.” Research suggests that increasing ALA consumption can contribute to lower risks of heart disease.
“Its profound anti-inflammatory properties help protect the endothelial lining of your blood vessels,” Dr. Shenkman says.
For the unfamiliar: The endothelial lining is a thin layer of cells that covers the inside of your blood vessels, heart and lymphatic vessels. Dr. Shenkman adds that the same anti-inflammatory properties help “prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, working to create a healthier arterial environment where plaque is far less likely to accumulate.”
3. It’s antioxidant-rich
Specifically, Dr. Shenkman says that ground flaxseed has lignans, phytoestrogens and potent antioxidants. She notes that recent research suggests a link between consuming lignans and lower cholesterol, and that high-lignan flax can lower LDL cholesterol. She
Dr. Shenkman explains that lignans help prevent fatty plaque buildup in arteries by reducing the harmful effects of bad cholesterol and keeping fats in the body balanced, “serving as a powerful complement to necessary medical therapies.”
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How Much Flaxseed Should I Eat per Day for Cholesterol?
For general heart health and cholesterol maintenance, Dr. Shenkman shares that consuming 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed is “a fantastic, evidence-based habit.”
However, Dr. Shenkman prioritizes medical therapy first with people who are actively living with diagnosed high cholesterol.
“Once your immediate risk is medically managed by a physician, you can aim for 2 to 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily alongside a strictly cardioprotective, plant-based diet as a powerful adjunct to your treatment,” she says.
Related: Here’s Exactly What Happens to Your Heart When You Eat Cottage Cheese
How to Add Flaxseed to Your Breakfast
Ready to add flaxseed to your breakfast to help keep cholesterol levels healthy? Dr. Shenkman shared a few of her favorite ways.
Stir it into overnight oats or chia pudding. Dr. Shenkman loves the creamy texture of this breakfast, especially because flaxseed naturally gels in liquid, giving these dishes a wonderfully creamy texture. “From a heart-health standpoint, you’re brilliantly stacking the soluble fiber from the oats with the lignans and ALA from the flaxseed for maximum cholesterol-lowering impact,” she says. Use it as a “flax egg” in vegan baking. Dr. Shenkman suggests mixing 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for a few minutes. “You get a perfect plant-based egg substitute for whole-grain pancakes or muffins,” she says. Blend it into a morning smoothie. Mix ground flaxseed with spinach and mixed berries. “It adds a nice, nutty thickness to the texture while supercharging the beverage with broad-spectrum fiber and antioxidants,” Dr. Shenkman says.There are a few things you’ll want to avoid when adding flaxseed to a breakfast, like sprinkling it on a butter pastry or a sugar-heavy muffin.
“You want to avoid using flaxseed as a ‘health halo’ to justify eating foods heavily laden with saturated fats or refined sugar,” Dr. Shenkman says. “So if you’re eating flaxseed alongside dairy butter or highly processed oils, you are effectively canceling out the cardiovascular benefits of the seed.”
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Sources:
Dr. Heather Shenkman, MD, an interventional cardiologist and member of the 1MD Nutrition Scientific Advisory Board Cholesterol-lowering effects of oats induced by microbially produced phenolic metabolites in metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Nature Communications. Alpha-Linolenic Acid and Cardiovascular Events: A Narrative Review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Meta-analysis of the effects of flaxseed interventions on blood lipids. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.Hence then, the article about a cardiologist says adding this 1 breakfast food is a powerhouse for cholesterol hint it s not oatmeal was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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