According to a study, the monounsaturated fats present in vegetable oils, nuts, and avocados are helpful in increasing a person's `good' cholesterol levels when it is included in the overall diet that controls `bad' LDL cholesterol.

The conclusion has been drawn from a study conducted on 24 adults having moderately high cholesterol level.

Mediterranean foods are rich in monounsaturated fats from olive oil and nuts, but low level of saturated fat from meat and dairy products and are associated with a decreased risk of heart disease.

Many clinical trials have reported that Mediterranean-style diet can be helpful in reducing the risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome, which normally lead to heart-related risk factors like high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, and low level of HDL cholesterol.

The experts have designed a special diet called Portfolio Diet, which is quite beneficial for maintaining a healthy heart.

The diet includes cholesterol-lowering foods like oats, psyllium fibre, fresh vegetables and fruits, beans, and legumes. This type of the diet has been found to lower the bad cholesterol level by 30%.

The researchers say that combining vegetarian diet and a dose of monounsaturated fat will help in maintaining the cholesterol level.

The findings of the new study have been published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.