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The #1 Best Fruit to Lower Your Cholesterol, Says Science

This fruit has been known to help lower your "bad" cholesterol levels and help keep you healthy.
FACT CHECKED BY Olivia Tarantino

Having high cholesterol can be a scary thing. Although your body needs certain levels of cholesterol for optimum functioning, too much of it can lead to clogged arteries and a higher risk of heart disease.

Thankfully, you can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels by adopting a healthy diet. However, it may be overwhelming to decide which foods you need to eat in order to keep your numbers at bay.

There are many different types of food that can help your cholesterol numbers, and according to research, apples contain an ingredient that has been known to have cholesterol-lowering properties.

Continue reading to learn about why apples are one of the best fruits you can eat to lower your cholesterol, and for more healthy eating tips, check out Best Breakfast Habits to Lower Cholesterol.

Apples are the best fruit to lower cholesterol.

According to Harvard Health, there are many different foods that can help you lower your cholesterol in their own unique ways. For example, oats can help because of their high fiber content, while certain fish can aid in lowering cholesterol because of their omega-3 levels.

So what is it about apples specifically that makes them the best cholesterol-lowering fruit? Apples are one of the fruits with the highest amount of fiber, and they contain a specific type of soluble fiber called pectin.

According to Mayo Clinic, soluble fiber can help lower your LDL (low-density lipoprotein) levels by reducing how much cholesterol is absorbed into your bloodstream.

And a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that not only does pectin fiber help reduce cholesterol, but that the pectin found in apples was some of the best for cholesterol-lowering from fruit sources.

Avocados are the runner-up fruit

avocado brown paper bag
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Another fruit that may help lower cholesterol, which some may not even realize is a fruit, is avocado! This fruit is a reliable source of healthy fat, and according to Harvard Health, healthy fats can replace unhealthier ones, which in turn can help reduce cholesterol levels.

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Samantha Boesch
Samantha was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and now works as a writer in Brooklyn, NY. Read more about Samantha