Nearly one in eight American adults have high levels of total cholesterol, reports the CDC. With high cholesterol, you can develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits grow, making it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Sometimes, those deposits can break suddenly and form a clot that causes a heart attack or stroke.

While medication may be necessary for some, there are a few things you can add to your diet to help decrease your changes of being diagnosed with high cholesterol.

High-Fiber Foods

High-fiber foods, including oat bran, oatmeal and brown breads, can counteract the elevation in cholesterol.  Foods that are high in fiber make cholesterol more soluble and allows your body to clear it on its own.

Fish

Not all seafood is created equally, however. The best in terms of lowering cholesterol are tuna, salmon, and swordfish. If you don’t like to eat fish, consider taking omega-3 supplements. But you should always talk to your doctor before taking over-the-counter supplements.

Monounsaturated Fat

Fat may seem counter-productive to lowering cholesterol, but there IS such a thing as “good fat”. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature but start to harden when chilled. Examples of foods high in monounsaturated fat include olive oil, avocadoes, peanut butter, and many nuts and seeds.