9 ways to lower bad cholesterol

High LDLs can raise your risk for a heart attack or stroke, and low levels may reduce your risk. Take action now: the following nine tips may help you lower your LDLs.

The research: Studies show that for every one-point drop in LDLs ("bad" cholesterol)—which are measured in milligrams per decilitre of blood, or mg/dl—heart risk falls by two percent.

The safety zone: Experts now believe that most people should shoot for a number lower than 100 mg/dl—especially if you have heart risks such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history or personal history of heart disease. They advise the same for smokers.

The goal: Is no longer to just lower your overall cholesterol count. Instead, it is to get the two main types in proper balance. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have found that pushing LDL levels below 100 mg/dl halted the progression of heart disease and cut mortality rates by 28 percent. Here are nine great tips to start.

• Pakistani researchers have found that about 6 grams (about 1 teaspoon) added to  ground coffee beans before brewing reduced LDL levels 30 percent in people with type 2 diabetes.

• Eat chopped veggies instead of snack crackers, and fruit instead of boxed cookies or store-bought cakes and pastries.
• Choose margarines that clearly state on the label that they contain no trans fats, too. Why? Trans fats are worse for your heart than saturated fats because they boost levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and decrease "good" HDL cholesterol.
• Avoiding these processed fats could cut your heart attack risk by 55 percent, studies show.

• Eating leaner cuts of meat can cut your LDLs because you're getting less cholesterol-raising saturated fat in every bite.
• Low-fat meats can be tough. Cooking them in a slow-cooker is an easy way to tenderize the meat without adding gobs of fat.

• Use olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice, spices, and crushed garlic.
• You'll get more cholesterol-lowering unsaturated fat and avoid the trans fats and saturated fats swimming in most bottled dressings—especially the creamy types!

• Oats are packed with a soluble fibre called beta glucan that whisks excess cholesterol out of your body.
• Having 350 grams (1 1/2 cups) of oatmeal on a regular basis could lower your LDLs by 12 to 24 percent.

• Both fruits are rich in pectin, another soluble fibre that helps lower LDLs.
• Grapefruit contains a substance that can interfere with the absorption of many medicines, so check with your doctor before making it a regular part of your morning.

• Women who did 45 to 50 minutes of muscle-building resistance training exercises three times a week lowered their LDL levels by 14 percent.
• Can't do that much? Just 10 minutes a day of sit-ups, leg lifts, and hip extensions will help.

• Your body uses saturated fats to produce LDLs.
• Overeating foods like cheesecake, cheeseburgers, premium ice cream, and steaks provides way too much raw material for producing this heart-threatening stuff.
• A better plan: Always stop and think before saying "yes" to the foods heavy with animal fat. Ask yourself, what could I have instead?

• In a large British study, people who "grazed" throughout the day had lower cholesterol levels than those who ate big meals twice a day.
• The difference was big enough to give the small-meal aficionados a 10 to 20 percent reduction in risk for heart disease.