Drinks That Help You Lower Cholesterol

High levels of bad cholesterol and total cholesterol increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Instead of the costly trip to the doctor for surgery after your cholesterol has gone up too much, put your levels in check with a few dietary changes: specifically, what you drink. It plays a huge part in your good and bad cholesterol levels, so here’s what to switch it up to.

Cranberry Juice

While you may be used to drinking some cranberry juice cocktail, you’ll want to switch to the sugar-free version for these heart benefits. WebMD notes a long-term study found drinking two glasses of plain cranberry juice per day was enough to raise levels of good HDL cholesterol. Additionally, the beverage seemed to also lower levels of LDL cholesterol. And you can thank the powerful antioxidants that are in the fruit for that.

If cranberries are just too bitter for your palate, it may also be worth giving blueberries a try. Verywell notes a few studies have found the antioxidants in blueberry juice can help lower LDL cholesterol levels, too.

Green Tea

Healthline explains a meta-analysis from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that this beverage has the ability to lower “bad,” or LDL, cholesterol. The study noted there was no significant impact on “good,” or HDL, cholesterol, however.