Cholesterol Lowering Foods
'Functional' for your heart

For years, a "healthy diet" has been largely defined by foods that should be avoided. We've learned to (try to) stay away from potato chips, cookies and virtually everything else that tastes good. Now, the focus may be about to shift toward foods you should work to include in your diet. When major food manufacturers introduce new, specially engineered product lines, their message may be: Eat our cereals, pastas, and even cookies and potato chips as part of your healthful diet.

These new products, enhanced with natural ingredients, are being called "functional foods." According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), functional foods may provide specific health benefits beyond basic nutrition when consumed as part of a varied diet. Many of the first functional foods to hit the shelves will tout the ability to lower cholesterol, a major contributing factor in cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States and other industrialized countries.

However, you don't need to wait until functional foods reach supermarket shelves to make your diet more heart-healthy.

A careful review of what's already in your kitchen may reveal a ready cholesterol-fighting menu.