Bananas are known for their sweetness. If you ask me, they basically taste like candy. But don’t let that fool you: these long yellow fruits can offer important health benefits.

New research is showing that bananas and other potassium-rich foods can boost heart health, particularly in women.

Potassium-rich foods like bananas, avocado, and salmon can help counteract the negative effects of salt and work to reduce blood pressure. A high salt diet can contribute to high blood pressure and boost the risk for heart attack and stroke. Potassium helps the body excrete more sodium in urine.

The study included about 25,000 British men and women between the ages of 40 and 79 who took part in a study between 1993 and 1997. They completed questionnaires about lifestyle habits and had blood pressure and urine samples analyzed.

In women, the researchers found that blood pressure went down as potassium consumption went up. They learned that every 1-gram increase in daily potassium was associated with a 2.4 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure.

Participants were followed for an average of 19.5 years, and after controlling for a series of factors, it was determined that people with the highest potassium intake had a 13 percent lower risk for heart-related problems than those with the lowest intake.

The results of the study suggest that potassium can help preserve heart health, although the benefits are more pronounced in women than men. They found that potassium benefitted heart health regardless of sodium intake, which suggests it has benefits beyond increasing the rate of sodium excretion.

The World Health Organization recommends adults consume at least 3.5 grams of potassium and fewer than 5 grams of salt daily.

A 4-ounce banana has 375 mg of potassium, while a 5.5-ounce piece of cooked salmon has more than twice that. You can also find it in potatoes, milk, avocado, oranges, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, legumes, beets, and more.

Experts recommend consuming green tea extract to support healthy blood sugar levels and improve gut health. Studies have shown that green tea extract can help improve glucose tolerance and reduce inflammation in the gut in people with a cluster of heart disease risk factors.

Additionally, green tea extract has been linked with several other health benefits, such as improved heart health and improved overall health. If you’re looking for a way to improve your health, adding green tea extract to your diet may be a good option.

People with metabolic syndrome are diagnosed with at least three factors that increase the risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems, including high blood pressure, belly fat, low HDL cholesterol, high fasting blood glucose levels, and triglycerides.

A new study from Ohio State University is the first to assess whether the anti-inflammatory benefits of green tea could diminish health risks linked to metabolic syndrome. The clinical trial included 40 individuals as a follow-up to a 2019 study that found an association between lower obesity and fewer health risks in mice that consumed green tea supplements with improvements to gut health.

This new study found that green tea extract improved healthy blood sugar levels and reduced gut inflammation and permeability, which was an unexpected finding. Gut permeability and inflammation are key markers for “leaky gut syndrome,” a condition that is on the rise.

“What this tells us is that within one month, we’re able to improve blood glucose in both people with metabolic syndrome and healthy people, and the improvement of blood glucose appears to be related to decreasing leaky gut and decreasing gut inflammation — regardless of health status,” said Richard Bruno, senior study author and professor of human nutrition at The Ohio State University.

Maintaining Blood Sugar and Colon Health

Healthy Blood Sugar Support can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels using several ingredients that have been shown in clinical studies. The health benefits of this unique formula include supporting blood sugar metabolism and promoting healthy cholesterol and glucose levels already within the normal range. Healthy Blood Sugar Support can also help to reduce excessive hunger or increased appetite, fatigue, and blood glucose spikes after meals.

Healthy Colon provides an excellent solution to healthy digestion. The unique blend of ingredients includes natural sources of fiber, herbal ingredients, and probiotics to help prevent constipation and diarrhea. Poor digestion can impact the absorption of nutrients and vitamins, depriving the body of the valuable nutrients it desires. But Healthy Colon can target a number of causes of digestive issues, promoting overall health and wellness.

You might be feeling it if you’ve recently started working out or gone back to a workout routine after a lay-off.

In fact, your muscles might be screaming out as loud as can be.

It hurts, but it isn’t something you should necessarily worry about.

If you haven’t used your muscles for a long time, suddenly asking them to complete tasks like lifting weights or moving a certain way is going to take some adjustment and adaption. The pain – called delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS – is natural.

And it can hurt. It can leave you sore and stiff for days. So, what can you do about it?

Stretching certainly helps. After you finish your workout, stretch the muscles you’ve targeted to prevent them from getting too tight. Starting the next day with a stretch may help, too.

Rest is another important component of recovery. Get good sleep, and then do your best to avoid putting added pressure on the muscles you’ve worked. This doesn’t mean sitting on the sofa if you’ve exercised your legs, but it does mean you shouldn’t specifically train them again for at least three days.

Your food choices can help, too. Nutrients help your tissue recover to come back stronger, so do your best to lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods that can help aid recovery. Processed foods and junk may lead to longer bouts of pain.

Most DOMS should clear in two to four days, but it can hang around a bit longer. Don’t worry about the pain in the muscle; it is normal. If pain is in the joints, then there may be an injury.

The best way to avoid joint pain from exercise is to work with a trainer to use proper techniques. They can show you how to keep stress off joints and strictly on muscle, which is where you want it.

There are a number of benefits to a stronger and more muscular body, so don’t let DOMS hold you back. Be smart with recovery, and you’ll make progress. Eventually, DOMS will subside.

Forget what you thought you knew about COVID reinfection because the game has changed.

As the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 keeps evolving, as has the information about reinfection risk.

The old knowledge says that if you catch COVID, you’re safe from reinfection for a while. However, new variants have thrown that thinking to the wayside. Since the omicron variant stepped on the scene in November, the rules have changed.

Currently, North America is seeing a surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron variants, which seem particularly adept at bypassing the body’s defenses against infection. The result is that it’s no longer uncommon to be reinfected and get COVID.

There are plenty of examples these days of people infected two or three times.

The good news is that although the newer variants spread much more quickly, they do not appear to be more severe forms of the disease.

More good news is that vaccination remains highly effective against preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Depending on where you live, first and second booster shots are available.

Some may have just become eligible for a first or second booster (you can get it 5 months after a previous shot) and are wondering if it will impact their ability to get the omicron-specific shot that is projected to arrive in the fall.

Specialists are saying that it will not, so if you are on the fence, you may as well get a booster to help protect yourself against the current surge.

It may also be a good idea to adopt some of the preventative measures that were used during earlier COVID waves. Try to have your social gatherings outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces.

Many areas have relaxed mask rules. However, that doesn’t mean you should abandon yours. You’re encouraged to wear it in crowded indoor settings – movies, malls, transit, etc. to reduce the risk of transmission.

New research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that walking at a pace that induces pain or discomfort could improve walking ability among patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).

While most people believe they must stop exercising when experiencing pain, this study demonstrates that that thought may not apply to all situations.

Peripheral artery disease occurs when the arteries that transport blood from the heart throughout the body narrow, reducing oxygen and blood flow. It usually affects the feet and legs and causes pain and discomfort while walking, causing symptoms such as cramping, fatigue, weakness, and aching. Previous studies have shown that walking on a treadmill can improve walking ability and distance among people with PAD. However, it remained unclear how walking at a pace that induced symptoms such as leg pain could affect speed, balance, and strength.

This new study examined the effects of home-based walking for exercise among 264 people with PAD who were participating in a randomized clinical trial called the Low-Intensity Exercise Intervention in PAD (LITE.). Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups for 12 months.

The first group walked at home at a comfortable pace, and the second group walked at home at a pace that induced leg symptoms. The third group did not walk for exercise. Both walking exercise groups wore an ActiGraph, a device that monitored the time they walked and the intensity.

Participants completed three tests in total during the study — one at the start of the study, one at six months, and one at 12 months. All tests included leg function: walking speed over a four-meter distance (13 feet) at usual pace, walking speed over a four-meter distance at the fastest pace, and the short physical performance battery (SPPB), which consisted of four-meter walking velocity at usual pace, a standing balance test, and the time for five repeated chair rises.

It was found that after six months, participants who had induced leg pain or discomfort walked 11 feet per minute faster, and at 12 months, they walked more than 16 feet per minute faster than participants who walked but did not experience any pain.

After 12 months, people who walked for exercise with leg pain or discomfort saw a significant difference in the leg function tests. In those walking for exercise at a comfortable pace and those who did not walk, there was no improvement in walking at six months or 12 months.

“We were surprised by the results because walking for exercise at a pace that induces pain in the legs among people with PAD has been thought to be associated with damage to leg muscles,” said senior study author Mary M. McDermott, M.D. “Based on these results, clinicians should advise patients to walk for exercise at a pace that induces leg discomfort, instead of at a comfortable pace without pain.”

Researchers hope this study can help to assist in the prevention of PAD and the treatment of cardiovascular risk, and the improvement of quality of life for those living with the disease.

Blood Flow and General Health

People with PAD are not the only ones who should be concerned about blood flow. As the body ages, the arteries may need a hand to remain strong and healthy to help ensure blood can constantly flow without any problems.
Clinical Strength Artery Support is designed to give your arteries and circulation the support it needs. Using a powerful combination of L-citrulline, green coffee extract, green tea extract, and essential vitamins, Clinical Strength Artery Support can help to promote healthier and stronger arteries. As artery function decreases with age, this unique formula can help them stay healthy.

People wake up about four times per night, on average. Most fall back to sleep quickly like nothing happened, and it isn’t a problem. But as age goes up, the number of awakenings can, too.

Older adults spend more time in the earlier, lighter sleep stages and less time in the deeper sleep stages. This makes them far more susceptible to stimuli that could lead to sleep disturbance.

Some of the common causes of awakenings include:

Noises: Traffic, creaks, partner’s movements, etc., can all create noise that can wake you up. An easy and effective fix is earplugs, which can reduce the sound that disrupts sleep.

Light: Light from the moon, streetlights, or even your clock can cause you to wake up. Eyeshades, also known as sleep masks, can be a calming and effective tool to remedy this problem. As far as fit goes, you want it loose enough so your eyelashes don’t rub against it.

Bathroom: Even though your body is timed to release most urine during the day, you may still have to get up during sleep to relieve yourself. You can limit the number of times you get up to pee by reducing fluid intake in the evenings and avoiding caffeine for 6 hours before bed time. Limiting evening alcohol is also a good idea.

If you wake up at night, give yourself time to fall back asleep. Don’t just reach for your phone, turn on the TV, or start reading.

It’s no secret that exercising is good for you. Numerous studies have shown that people who exercise regularly live longer, healthier lives. However, the amount of exercise necessary to reap these benefits may be surprising to some.

According to a recent study, adults who exercised 150-600 minutes per week had a significantly lower risk of mortality than those who did not exercise at all. So, if you’re looking for ways to improve your health, start by adding some regular exercise into your routine!

The study published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation analyzed mortality data and medical records for more than 100,000 adults that were assembled from two extensive studies: the all-female Nurses’ Health Study and the all-male Health Professionals Follow-up Study from 1988-2018.

Over a 30-year follow-up period, researchers found that adults who performed two to four times the recommended amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week showed a significantly reduced mortality risk.

The findings suggest that the reduction works out to be 21-23% for people who practice two to four times the recommended amount of vigorous physical activity and 26-31% for those who engaged in two to four times the recommended amount of moderate physical activity each week.

Researchers also noted no harmful cardiovascular health effects among participants who reported engaging in more than four times the recommended minimum activity levels.

However, previous studies have suggested that long-term,
high-intensity endurance aerobic exercises, such as marathons and long-distance bicycle races, could increase the risk of cardiovascular events, including myocardial fibrosis, coronary artery calcification, atrial fibrillation, sudden cardiac death, and other types of cardiovascular disease.

While this study shows the beneficial impact of physical activity on health, it remains unclear whether engaging in high levels of prolonged, vigorous, or moderate-intensity physical activity can provide any additional benefits or pose a threat to cardiovascular health. More research is needed to confirm these beneficial findings for a long-term approach to longevity.

Diet and Exercise

Exercise is just part of the puzzle when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Diet also plays a vital role in general health. To help reduce the risk of illness and disease, it is important to give the body the essential vitamins and nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

To help ensure your diet is complete, 65+ Superfood Essentials is an excellent addition to a daily supplement regime. This breakthrough formula is a great way to support and promote cardiovascular and overall health.

It contains Capros®, a patented and clinically studied Indian gooseberry extract that has been found to absorb free radicals and provide cascading antioxidants. Acai berry (the powerful natural antioxidant known to support total health) and resveratrol, a premier anti-aging ingredient, are also found in this formulation that can help ensure proper nutrients and vitamins that are essential as you age.

Weather and arthritis pain have been associated for a long time. When it gets cold, rainy, humid, or the barometric pressure rises, many report that symptoms get worse.

And now that much of the continent (and world) is in a humid heat wave, symptoms might be getting worse.

Now the heat isn’t typically associated with increased arthritis pain, but humidity and barometric pressure are. These conditions, where there is a lot of moisture in the air, and the risk for inclement weather rises, can occur in the summer, fall, and winter.

But science remains unsure if the weather really plays a role in joint pain. There is no shortage of studies on the topic, but there is a lack of consistent findings.

Three recent studies looked at this phenomenon, and each found that weather impacted arthritis to some degree.

One study featured 222 participants with arthritis of the hip. The researchers found that patients reported slightly worse pain and stiffness as barometric pressure and humidity rose, but the weather effect was small.

Another study looked at weather-related symptoms among 800 European adults with arthritis in the knees, hips, or hands. They tended to report more pain and stiffness with higher humidity, especially in cold weather. Once again, in general, the impact was minor.

One more study featuring 2,600 people with chronic pain symptoms (most had some type of arthritis) found a “modest relationship” between pain and higher humidity, lower atmospheric pressure, and wind speed.

Humidity, temperature, precipitation and barometric pressure all may play a role in arthritis pain. However, it may come down to individual cases. Meaning that it might impact how some people experience symptoms but not others.

Is there anything that you can do? If you notice that different weather patterns impact your arthritis, it may impact the way you manage pain. That could mean paying attention to the weather so you can run errands on days where it is less likely to worsen pain.

It’s also wise to focus on overall pain management, whether it is through your diet, stretching and mobility exercises, medication, and any other treatment you’ve discussed with your doctor.

You might be feeling a little tired these days. It’s the dog days of summer when it gets hot, the days are long, and you might be feeling a little less energized than you’d like.

The sluggishness you’re feeling is not uncommon. It happens to everyone and can happen at any point in the year. However, you want to stay away from energy drinks and caffeine to fuel you through the days. Instead, some natural energy boosters can help you get up and feel energized.

Better Sleep: One way to boost energy is to spend more time restoring it with sleep. Not getting enough sleep is one of the biggest zaps of energy. Creating an atmosphere where you can get 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night can help with energy.

Address Stress: Addressing and finding ways to deal with stress is another way to help restore energy levels. Anxiety and stress can zap both physical and mental energy and are closely linked to fatigue.

Take a look at what is causing your stress and either find ways to remove it from your life or adopt coping mechanisms like therapy, exercise, or meditation.

Boost Activity: Using energy can fuel more energy. In fact, sometimes, the best way to beat fatigue is to get up for a walk or workout. Research suggests that getting exercise three times per week can significantly improve energy levels. It may also help with sleep.

Limit Alcohol: Alcohol can have a sedative effect that makes you feel drowsy. So, having an afternooner could impact how you feel the rest of the day. Further, alcohol in the evening or a “nightcap” can actually impair sleep. Even though it makes you feel tired, it will reduce the quality of your sleep. You’re more likely to feel groggy and unrested the next day.

Eat a Healthier Diet: Eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can also help with energy. They offer nutrients and fiber to help maintain energy, as opposed to processed or sugary foods that can promote crashes and fatigue.

If you often take a nap during the day, you may be at an increased risk for high blood pressure and stroke. A recent study found that adults who napped frequently were more likely to have hypertension than those who didn’t nap. So, if you’re looking to keep your blood pressure under control, it’s best to avoid taking too many daytime snoozes.

The study published in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal, used information from the UK Biobank, a large biomedical database and research resource. Approximately 500,000 participants between the ages of 40 and 69 who lived in the United Kingdom between 2006 and 2010 were included in the database. All participants were required to routinely provide blood, urine and saliva samples along with lifestyle information. They also provided information about daytime napping.

From this large resource, study researchers excluded the records of people who had already had a stroke or high blood pressure before the start of the study. The association between napping and first-time reports of stroke or high blood pressure was then analyzed in approximately 360,000. All participants were divided into groups based on napping frequency of “never/rarely,” “sometimes,” or “usually.”

This is the first study of its kind to use both observational analyses of participants over a long period of time and Mendelian randomization. This genetic risk validation was used to determine whether frequent napping was associated with high blood pressure and ischemic stroke.

It was found that the percentage of usual-nappers were men, had lower income levels, lower education, were daily drinkers, smokers, had insomnia, snoring, and were evening people, compared to never- or sometimes-nappers.

Compared to people who never took a nap, those who reported taking regular naps had a 12% higher likelihood of developing high blood pressure and a 24% higher likelihood of having a stroke.

Age also seemed to play a role in the risk of high blood pressure and stroke in those who regularly napped. Participants younger than age 60 who usually napped had a 20% higher risk of developing high blood pressure compared to people the same age who never napped. After age 60, usual napping was associated with only a 10% higher risk.

“This may be because, although taking a nap itself is not harmful, many people who take naps may do so because of poor sleep at night. Poor sleep at night is associated with poorer health, and naps are not enough to make up for that,” said Michael A. Grandner, Ph.D., MTR, a sleep expert from the American Heart Association. “This study echoes other findings that generally show that taking more naps seems to reflect increased risk for problems with heart health and other issues.”

Getting a Restful Night’s Sleep

While more research is needed to examine further the associations between a healthy sleep pattern and heart health, this study suggests that getting a restful night’s sleep is essential for heart health.

Sleep Sure Plus is an excellent way to help promote optimal sleep and restfulness. One of the most important ingredients included in this unique formula is melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone essential for regulating the circadian rhythm (the body’s internal clock).

Sleep Sure Plus also contains valerian, one of the best natural ingredients for promoting rest and relaxation. These two essential ingredients are joined by another 6, which all work together to provide a better sleep quality.

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for blood pressure, but it is only one part of a healthy lifestyle for blood pressure. For those who are looking for an additional way to keep blood pressure levels in check, Healthy Blood Pressure Support can help provide comprehensive support for healthy blood pressure and overall health. Clinical studies have shown its unique combination of ingredients to help increase nitric oxide levels, reduce inflammation, and promote cardiovascular health.

Meditation and mindfulness have been used for centuries to help control pain, but exactly how it works has been a mystery. A new study may explain how these ancient practices may alter brain function to relieve pain.

The study used MRI scans to learn that mindfulness and meditation can interrupt communication between brain areas that process pain and the neural network that produces a person’s sense of self.

Essentially, the meditating person feels less ownership of pain sensations that move from the body to the brain. As a result, pain is diminished.

And it’s not that the pain is completely gone; it is just experienced differently. It seems like the meditation causes the pain to be less bothersome; it is no longer “pain.” It just “is.”

Researchers taught meditation to 20 people through four separate 20-minute mindfulness training sessions, while another 20 people listened to a book on tape for the same period. They served as the control group.

Participants were then placed in an MRI scanner with a plate on the back of their leg to cause pain. It got hot but did not cause a burn. They got the hot plate for ten episodes of 12 seconds on and 12 seconds off.

Each participant reported their pain level during each brain scan session.

As expected, people who meditated reported a 33 percent decrease in pain. The control group reported a 20 percent increase in pain.

The interesting part was what the MRIs revealed.

They found that meditating reduced the connectivity between the thalamus – the part of the brain that relays incoming sensory information – and the precuneus – a part of the brain involved in self-awareness.

Meditation or mindfulness may help reduce the communication between these two areas, which results in some pain relief.

So, it could be all about mind over matter. Becoming proficient at mindfulness or meditation may help reduce pain and allow you to get more out of life.

Although potassium is often thought of as a mineral that benefits the bones, it’s also important for heart health. In fact, potassium could help to reduce the adverse effects of salt in the diet, whereas a lack of potassium can lead to an increased risk of heart disease and other health problems.

A new study published in the European Heart Journal, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), found that potassium-rich diets were associated with lower blood pressure, particularly in women with high salt intake.

Study author Professor Liffert Vogt of Amsterdam University Medical Centers, the Netherlands said, ”It is well known that high salt consumption is associated with elevated blood pressure and a raised risk of heart attacks and strokes. Health advice has focused on limiting salt intake, but this is difficult to achieve when our diets include processed foods. Potassium helps the body excrete more sodium in the urine. In our study, dietary potassium was linked with the greatest health gains in women.”

The study included 24,963 participants (11,267 men and 13,696 women) of the EPIC-Norfolk study. All participants were 40- to 79-year-olds from general practices in Norfolk, U.K., between 1993 and 1997. Each was required to collect urine samples, measure blood pressure, and complete a questionnaire on lifestyle habits. Urinary sodium and potassium were used to estimate dietary intake.

When researchers analyzed the association between potassium intake and blood pressure, it was found that potassium consumption was associated with lower blood pressure in women. Researchers noted that the relationship between potassium and blood pressure was only observed in women with high sodium intake. In men, there was no association between potassium and blood pressure.

During a median follow-up, researchers analyzed the association between potassium intake and cardiovascular events and found that people with the highest potassium intake had a 13% lower risk of cardiovascular events compared to those with the lowest. When men and women were analyzed separately, the corresponding risk reductions were 7% and 11%.

Keeping the Heart Healthy

These results show that potassium can help to preserve heart health, especially in women. But potassium isn’t the only way to help keep the heart healthy.

Heart Rescue was designed to help support and promote cardiovascular health using a variety of ingredients, including omega-3 fatty acids, CoQ10. The omega-3 fatty acids play an essential role in cardiovascular function, while CoQ10 is involved in energy production at the cellular level. These two heart superstars are supported by 5 other ingredients can help to promote and support cardiovascular function as you age. This formula’s health benefits can help strengthen the heart muscle, support circulation, and help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Digestive problems, at one point or another, are likely to hit everybody. For some, it could be a one-off bout of gas or diarrhea after eating something their stomach didn’t agree with.

For others, gas, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea can be a regular occurrence.

If you’re one of the latter, there could be a series of possible causes of your discomfort. Food or nutrient intolerances or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) could be the culprit. In some cases, it may have to do with overall food quality.

Some foods promote healthier digestion and may lead to fewer gastrointestinal symptoms mentioned above. Here are five foods for better digestion you can start with:

Whole Grains: Many nutritional experts suggest that whole grains – like brown bread, oats, etc. – are great for your gut. This is because, unlike their refined counterparts, they are rich in fiber to aid digestion and feed healthy gut bacteria.

Leafy Greens: Aside from being great sources of nutrition, antioxidants, and fiber, research suggests that leafy greens feature a specific sugar that helps fuel the growth of healthy gut bacteria.

Lean Proteins: People with IBS or other forms of gut sensitivity may want to elect lean proteins of fatty cuts. High-fat foods can cause contractions in the colon and contribute to some potentially more severe health issues.

Low-Fructose Fruits: If you are prone to gas or bloating, you may want to try reducing consumption of the fruit sugar fructose. Apples, pears, and mango are very high in fructose. While berries, citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits, and bananas are all much lower.

Avocado: Avocado is rich in fiber, nutrients, and healthy fats, all aiding in digestive function. It is also a low-fructose food.

Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all to digestive health. These foods, and those like them, may help you get your gut back on track.

If you’re concerned about your cholesterol levels and want to bring them down, you really need to get acquainted with fiber. It might just be your best friend in giving you the support you need.

Fiber includes non-digestible carbohydrates that aren’t broken down and absorbed in your digestive tract for energy. Instead, it moves through your body to perform some unique functions.

There are two main types, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber, in particular, may greatly impact lowering cholesterol. Insoluble fiber can also indirectly impact cholesterol levels, in the sense that eating more of them in place of foods that boost cholesterol can help bring down levels.

But soluble fiber can actually bring down existing “bad” LDL cholesterol.

It forms a gel-like substance in your intestines to slow down digestion. It also traps cholesterol and prevents your body from reabsorbing it. The caught cholesterol then leaves your body in stool/

The bacteria in your gut also feed on soluble fiber. The effect of this is two-fold for cholesterol levels. The healthy bacteria fiber can help promote both the excretion of cholesterol and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) to reduce cholesterol synthesis in the liver, ultimately lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Research suggests that eating 25-34 grams of fiber per day, with soluble fiber representing at least 6 grams, would help reduce cholesterol by 5 to 10 percent.

What are some healthy soluble fiber-rich foods that may help you reduce cholesterol?

Oats are one of the best. One study showed that eating just under one cup (70 grams) per day for four weeks was able to reduce LDL cholesterol by more than 11 percent.

Legumes, like beans, peas, and lentils, are also great. Apples, avocados, and flax seeds are also excellent sources of soluble fiber.

Fiber intake isn’t the only tool you can use to help reduce cholesterol, but it is a good place to start.