Eating vegetable soup can be an effective way to lower high cholesterol levels. Vegetable soups are typically low in saturated fat, rich in fiber, packed with vitamins and minerals, and contain ingredients shown to help reduce cholesterol. Replacing high-fat foods with vegetable soup as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and improve heart health.
How does vegetable soup help lower cholesterol?
There are a few key ways that eating vegetable soup can help lower high cholesterol:
- Vegetable soups are low in saturated fat and high in fiber – Saturated fat increases LDL cholesterol levels, while soluble fiber helps lower it. Most vegetable soups contain little to no saturated fat and are high in fiber from ingredients like beans, lentils, barley, and oats.
- Packed with cholesterol-lowering nutrients – Vegetables commonly used in soups contain nutrients like beta-carotene, vitamin C, and flavonoids that studies show can help reduce LDL cholesterol. Potassium and magnesium in veggies also help lower blood pressure.
- Fills you up – The fiber, protein, and water content in vegetable soups promote satiety and helps reduce overall calorie intake. Eating fewer calories from high-fat foods aids cholesterol reduction.
- Replaces high-fat foods – Having a bowl of vegetable soup instead of foods high in saturated fat helps limit LDL cholesterol-raising foods in the diet.
- Increases soluble fiber – Soluble fiber binds to cholesterol in the digestive tract preventing it from being absorbed. Beans, oats, barley, and carrots in soup provide soluble fiber.
Simply put, vegetable soups displace high-fat foods while providing nutrients that actively help lower LDL cholesterol levels when eaten regularly as part of a healthy diet.
Best vegetables for cholesterol-lowering soup
All vegetables provide benefits, but some stand out when it comes to reducing high cholesterol. Focus on including these veggies often in homemade soups or look for them in prepared vegetable soups:
- Beans – Beans of all kinds are rich in soluble fiber to help lower LDL. Navy, kidney, pinto, black, and garbanzo beans work well in soups.
- Lentils – These small legumes are very high fiber and help reduce cholesterol. Red or brown lentils break down nicely to thicken soups.
- Oats – Whole oats and oat bran provide beta-glucan soluble fiber to help remove LDL cholesterol.
- Barley – Like oats, barley contains beta-glucan soluble fiber and has been shown to lower cholesterol significantly.
- Carrots – Carrots are packed with both soluble and insoluble fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and beta-carotene – an antioxidant that studies show can reduce LDL cholesterol.
- Sweet potatoes – In addition to fiber, sweet potatoes provide antioxidants like beta-carotene that benefit cholesterol levels.
- Broccoli – Part of the cruciferous veggie family, broccoli is high in fiber with cholesterol-lowering compounds.
- Spinach – Spinach provides folate that helps lower homocysteine levels (elevated levels increase heart disease risk), along with fiber and lutein that benefit cholesterol.
- Asparagus – This spring vegetable has significant soluble fiber and antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and cholesterol.
- Brussels sprouts – In the same veggie family as broccoli, brussels sprouts have fiber, folate, and phytonutrients that improve cholesterol numbers.
Aim to include a variety of the vegetables above in homemade soup recipes or look for prepared soups loaded with these ingredients.
Examples of cholesterol-lowering vegetable soup recipes
It’s easy to whip up vegetable soups that help lower LDL cholesterol at home. Here are some tasty soup recipes to try:
Bean and Barley Vegetable Soup
This soup combines beans, barley, carrots, spinach and tomatoes for a hearty, cholesterol-busting soup.
Lentil and Brown Rice Soup
Warming lentils and brown rice meet carrots, onions, tomatoes and spinach in this fiber-filled soup.
Vegetable Chili
All the flavor of traditional chili gets a veggie makeover in this version with beans, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and plenty of seasonings.
Roasted Vegetable Soup
Roasting broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and other vegetables deepens the flavors in this easy soup.
Creamy Potato Soup
Potatoes give a creamy base while veggies like celery, onion, carrots and spinach provide color and nutrients.
Southwestern Vegetable Soup
Fire-roasted tomatoes, corn, beans, peppers and zesty spices give this soup its southwestern flair.
Tips for preparing cholesterol-friendly vegetable soups
Follow these tips to make vegetable soups that maximize cholesterol-lowering benefits:
- Use olive, avocado or coconut oil for cooking instead of butter or other saturated fats.
- Go easy on salty prepared broths or make your own low-sodium broth.
- Skip cream-based soups and use nonfat milk or low-fat yogurt instead for a creamy base.
- Load up on veggies – the more kinds, the better to get a variety of nutrients.
- Add beans, lentils or barley for extra soluble fiber.
- Season with garlic, onions, herbs and spices instead of salt to boost flavor.
- Top with cholesterol-friendly garnishes like chopped raw veggies, avocado, plain Greek yogurt, or fresh herbs.
- Avoid crackers, croutons, bacon bits and other high-fat, high-sodium soup toppings.
Should you have vegetable soup every day to lower cholesterol?
Regularly eating vegetable soup in place of less healthy foods can significantly improve cholesterol levels over time. However, for best results it’s important to combine soup with an overall healthy diet and lifestyle.
The American Heart Association recommends:
- Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, plant-based proteins, and healthy fats like olive oil.
- Limiting saturated fat to 5-6% of total daily calories and avoiding trans fats.
- Reducing sodium intake to less than 2300mg per day.
- Exercising for at least 150 minutes per week.
- Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
- Not smoking and limiting alcohol intake.
Regularly eating vegetable soup can help you meet many of these diet and lifestyle recommendations. So while you don’t need to have it every single day, working it into your meal plan frequently can help lower cholesterol when combined with other heart-healthy habits.
Can vegetable soup lower cholesterol as part of a vegetarian or vegan diet?
Absolutely! In fact, research consistently shows that vegetarian and vegan diets lower LDL cholesterol levels more effectively than non-vegetarian diets.
In a major 2019 review published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers looked at the results of 27 randomized controlled trials with over 1500 participants. They found:
- Vegetarian diets lowered LDL cholesterol by 18.7 mg/dL compared to only 8.2 mg/dL for non-vegetarian diets.
- Vegan diets reduced LDL cholesterol by 28.5 mg/dL, versus non-vegetarian diets.
The key factors contributing to the cholesterol-lowering effects of plant-based diets include:
- Decreased saturated fat intake
- Increased unsaturated fats from sources like nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil
- Higher soluble fiber from beans, oats, vegetables, fruits
- Increased nutrients like plant sterols that help block cholesterol absorption
- Lower overall calorie intake typically
Vegetable soups are a versatile way to incorporate many cholesterol-friendly foods in vegetarian and vegan diets.
Should you have vegetable soup or chicken noodle soup for cholesterol?
While chicken noodle soup can certainly be part of a heart-healthy diet, vegetable soup has some advantages when it comes to lowering high cholesterol:
| Vegetable Soup | Chicken Noodle Soup |
|---|---|
| Very low in saturated fat depending on ingredients | Higher in saturated fat from chicken skin, dark meat |
| No cholesterol | Contains dietary cholesterol in chicken meat |
| Higher in soluble fiber from veggies, beans | Lower in fiber from refined noodles |
| Rich in antioxidants from many vegetables | Fewer antioxidants unless lots of veggies included |
While homemade chicken noodle soup can also be part of a cholesterol-friendly diet, vegetable varieties have some nutritional advantages. However, it’s perfectly fine to enjoy both types of soup while focusing overall on healthy ingredients and cooking methods.
What about canned vegetable soups?
Canned vegetable soups can be a quick and convenient way to get vegetables into your diet. However, it’s important to read labels carefully when choosing prepared soups to minimize sodium, saturated fat, and preservatives:
- Look for “reduced sodium” or “low sodium” on the label with under 500mg per serving if possible.
- Avoid cream-based soups and choose broth-based varieties.
- Look for soups where vegetables, beans or lentils are the first few ingredients.
- Choose soups with no more than 2-3g saturated fat per serving.
- Avoid soups with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
- Limit sodium-heavy crackers, croutons or other soup toppings.
Watch out for prepared soups loaded with refined grains or starchy vegetables like potatoes instead of more nutrient-dense options. Overall, making homemade soup is ideal but canned varieties can be a decent option when time is limited.
Does the type of vegetable soup matter for lowering cholesterol?
The most beneficial soups for lowering cholesterol feature vegetables high in soluble fiber or cholesterol-lowering nutrients. However, the preparation method also makes a difference.
Soups lower in sodium, saturated fat, and calories have the biggest impact on cholesterol levels. Those packed with vegetables, beans, whole grains, and plant proteins are excellent choices. Cream or cheese-based soups are not ideal due to higher saturated fat.
Prioritize homemade soups where you control the ingredients. But if using canned, choose low sodium options with lots of visible vegetables and fiber-rich legumes. Soup variety can also help increase nutrient diversity so try rotating different vegetable-based soups during the week.
Should you avoid potatoes in vegetable soup for cholesterol?
Potatoes are relatively high on the glycemic index, meaning they cause a sharper rise in blood sugar compared to other vegetables. There is some concern this effect could negatively impact cholesterol levels.
However, dietary cholesterol is more significantly affected by saturated fat, trans fats, and overall calorie intake. As part of an otherwise healthy diet, moderate portions of potatoes in soups should not be an issue.
Focus instead on choosing potato-based soups with added vegetables, using olive oil instead of cream, and avoiding high sodium/fat toppings. Sweet potatoes offer more nutrients as an alternative in homemade soups when possible.
Conclusion
Vegetable soups provide a double benefit for cholesterol when they displace high-fat foods while also providing nutrients and fiber that actively lower levels. As part of an overall heart-healthy diet and lifestyle, vegetable soup can be a tasty way to help lower high LDL cholesterol and maintain healthy levels long-term.