Why is it every time I turn on the television, or the radio, I am hearing some sort of commercial about lowering cholesterol? There is a pretty wide spread epidemic of 2 things happening: 1) high cholesterol and 2) people depending on drugs to get their cholesterol lowered. This is a slippery slope when you begin to not be held accountable for your own actions, and you rely on a manufactured substance to help you fix your problems. With that in mind, here is a list of foods that help to lower your cholesterol.

This list could be very long, but I wanted to keep it short and sweet: Only 5 items you can gladly incorporate into your diet for an immediate impact.

Flax Oil - This is a supplement that has proven to work for me personally. I lowered my cholesterol from the 220's to the 180's in about 3 months just by supplementing this everyday. You can take it by the teaspoon, or add it to yogurt, cottage cheese, or even a smoothie.

Apples - People must be forgetting the slogan: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". This is not just for your teeth and the dentist. Apples have a very good amount of soluble fiber, as well as insoluble fiber. Just for a quick definition of the two. Insoluble fiber means it can not be absorbed and goes right through you. This is the one that helps with digestion. The soluble fiber is the one that gets absorbed, and while in the blood stream, picks up the LDL (bad) cholesterol for removal from your body.

Dark Chocolate - This is a good one. But, it must be dark chocolate, and have at least a 60% cocoa. The higher the better. And milk chocolate is not the same. It is sweetened with sugar, and this process of manufacturing kills the flavonoids in the chocolate. This is why you need to stick with the dark chocolate. Try a 1 ounce piece per day.

Green Tea - Here is a very simple addition to your diet. Just buy a pack of tea bags, about $3.00, and make a gallon of unsweetened green tea. Then drink at least 8 ounces a day. There are really good health properties in this tea, and one of them is the ability to help lower cholesterol.

Oats - Once again, here is a food with soluble and insoluble fiber. Eat at least a cup of cooked oats a day, and not only will you lower your cholesterol, but you will also be regular. Which of course is another item you need to work on in your healthy diet.

So, there are 5 quick changes you can make in your diet to help with your cholesterol. The items are simple, easily available, and will have an immediate impact. And better yet, they are all natural, and not a prescription. Hope you enjoy this list of foods that help to lower your cholesterol.