6 Whole Grains That May Lower Cholesterol by Supercharging Your Fiber Intake
Cardiovascular DiseasesHigh Cholesterol

6 Whole-Grain Foods That May Help Lower Your Cholesterol

6 Whole-Grain Foods That May Help Lower Your Cholesterol
Mario Pessaris/Alamy
By
Updated on November 24, 2025
by

When it comes to lowering your cholesterol, whole grains are the healthiest kinds of grains to eat.

“Aside from the various vitamins and minerals that whole grains can provide in the diet, perhaps one of the primary reasons for their benefit in lowering cholesterol is the fact that they tend to be high in fiber,'' says Chloe Ring, a nutritionist and dietitian based in New York City.

 “Fiber is especially important in shaping the gut microbiome, which has been emerging as an area of interest because it may impact lipid metabolism,” she says.

In addition to supporting healthy cholesterol levels, a diet rich in whole grains may help lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and other chronic health conditions.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend sourcing at least half of your daily grains from whole grains and the remainder from enriched grains. Enriched grains are refined grains that have some nutrients added back after processing.

 Refined foods like white bread, white rice, and white flour are milled to remove the nutrient-dense bran and germ, giving them a longer shelf life but stripping them of important dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins.

If switching to whole grains feels like an intimidating change, don’t fret. “You can start off by going half and half with a favorite grain and a new grain (perhaps half white rice and half brown rice) and gradually make the transition,” says Stacey Simon, RD, a registered dietitian-nutritionist based in New York City.

1. Oats

“Oats are an excellent source of soluble fiber, which may reduce the absorption of cholesterol in your bloodstream,” says Ring. Researchers associate beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber abundant in oats and oat bran, with lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.

 Oats are also an affordable food that’s easy to incorporate into any meal of the day.
A 1/2-cup serving of dry rolled oats provides over 4 grams (g) of dietary fiber, 3 g of which are beta-glucan, along with over 5 g of protein.

2. Barley

Barley is another great source of beta-glucan, which may explain its potential cholesterol-lowering effects as well as its ability to help stabilize blood sugar.

While it may not be the first whole grain you think to reach for, budget-friendly barley works well mixed into soups and stews, as an alternative to rice, and even as a hot breakfast cereal.

A 1/4-cup serving of raw pearled barley (the equivalent of about 1 cup cooked) contains almost 8 g of fiber, plus a helpful boost of the essential trace mineral selenium.

3. Rye

Looking for an alternative to white bread? Try rye. Rye is a fast-growing grass cultivated as a grain that’s used to make rye bread. It’s known for its high fiber content, some of which is cholesterol-lowering beta-glucan.

In addition to digestive health–supporting fiber, rye is a helpful source of protein, which has positive effects on metabolic health.

Two regular slices of rye bread provide nearly 4 g of fiber and about 5.5 g of protein.

4. Whole Wheat

Whole-wheat bread and pasta are also higher in fiber than their refined grain counterparts, which means they better support healthy cholesterol levels, digestive health, blood sugar management, and more.

What’s more, whole wheat retains important B vitamins and vitamin E that refined grains lose during processing.

Two slices of whole-wheat bread provide nearly 4 g of fiber and almost 8 g of protein.

 Meanwhile, 1 cup of cooked whole-wheat penne pasta offers almost 4 g of fiber and nearly 6 g of protein.

5. Brown Rice

Brown rice contains B vitamins, phosphorus, and magnesium, says Simon. “It’s also cost-effective, easy, and versatile,” she says.

In terms of cholesterol management, brown rice provides a bit more soluble fiber than white rice. A 1/4-cup serving of uncooked brown rice contains about 2 g of fiber, while the same amount of uncooked white rice contains about 1 g of fiber.

Brown rice also offers a number of beneficial vitamins and minerals that are stripped out of white rice when the grain is processed.

6. Quinoa

Quinoa, an ancient, gluten-free seed from South America, is another whole-grain option that’s high in cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber.

Research suggests quinoa’s unsaturated fatty acid content can further help lower LDL cholesterol.

 It’s also one of the only plant foods considered a complete protein, meaning it provides all nine essential amino acids the human body needs to function that it can’t make on its own.
One cup of cooked quinoa boasts over 5 g of fiber and 8 g of protein.

The Takeaway

  • Whole grains are recommended for lowering cholesterol because they’re high in fiber, which is crucial for supporting a healthy gut microbiome and lipid metabolism.
  • The USDA recommends that at least half of your daily grain intake comes from whole grains, replacing refined grains like white bread and rice that lack essential fiber and nutrients.
  • Oats, barley, rye, whole wheat, brown rice, and quinoa are all excellent whole grains for lowering cholesterol, with oats and barley in particular being excellent sources of the soluble fiber beta-glucan.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Cholesterol: Top Foods to Improve Your Numbers. Mayo Clinic. May 2, 2024.
  2. Lamichhane S et al. Linking Gut Microbiome and Lipid Metabolism: Moving Beyond Associations. Metabolites. January 15, 2021.
  3. Whole Grains. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
  4. 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  5. Grains. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  6. Yu J et al. Effects of Oat Beta-Glucan Intake on Lipid Profiles in Hypercholesterolemic Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. May 13, 2022.
  7. Oats, Whole Grain, Rolled, Old Fashioned. USDA FoodCentral. October 2024.
  8. 5 Whole Grains to Keep Your Family Healthy. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. September 5, 2022.
  9. Barley, Pearled, Raw. USDA FoodCentral. April 1, 2019.
  10. Lante A et al. Beta-Glucans of Cereals: Functional and Technological Properties. Nutrients. April 28, 2023.
  11. Kaur P et al. Rye: A Wonder Crop With Industrially Important Macromolecules and Health Benefits. Food Research International. December 2021.
  12. Bread, Rye. USDA FoodCentral. April 1, 2019.
  13. Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet. Mayo Clinic. November 7, 2025.
  14. Bread, Whole-Wheat, Commercially Prepared. USDA FoodCentral. April 1, 2019.
  15. Pasta, Whole-Wheat, Cooked. USDA FoodCentral. April 1, 2019.
  16. Rice, Brown, Long Grain, Unenriched, Raw. USDA FoodCentral. April 20, 2023.
  17.  Rice, White, Long Grain, Unenriched, Raw. USDA FoodCentral. April 20, 2023.
  18. Quinoa. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
  19. Prasadi N et al. Dietary Fibre from Whole Grains and Their Benefits on Metabolic Health. Nutrients. October 5, 2020.
  20. Zhang H et al. Effects of Quinoa on Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes: A Review. Frontiers in Nutrition. October 3, 2024.
  21. Quinoa, Cooked. USDA FoodCentral. April 1, 2019.
Meet Our Experts
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
Lynn Griger photo

Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES

Medical Reviewer

Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988. 

Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press. She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.

See full bio
Ali McPherson

Ali McPherson

Author
Ali McPherson is a New York City–based entrepreneur, life coach, and multimedia journalist who covers a variety of topics, from arts and culture to health and wellness. She received her master’s degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, where she concentrated in arts culture culture and audio reporting.
See full bio
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network