Is Hummus Good for Cholesterol?

Yes, hummus can support healthier cholesterol when it replaces foods high in saturated fat, because its chickpeas provide fiber and its plant fats are mostly unsaturated. It can be one choice among the best foods for high cholesterol, although the effect of ordinary hummus itself has not been well established.

Is hummus a good choice if you have high cholesterol?

Hummus can fit into a cholesterol-conscious eating pattern, particularly when it takes the place of a spread or dip high in saturated fat. The benefit depends on the recipe, what it replaces and the rest of your diet—not on hummus alone.

Hummus is not a substitute for cholesterol testing or prescribed treatment. If your cholesterol is high, a clinician can help you assess your overall cardiovascular risk and decide which changes and treatments are appropriate.

How could hummus help cholesterol?

Chickpeas contain fiber, including soluble fiber. Soluble fiber can help the body remove bile acids through the gut; the body then uses cholesterol to make more bile acids, which can help lower LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol.

Hummus often contains tahini, made from sesame seeds, and may contain olive oil or other plant oils. These ingredients generally provide more unsaturated than saturated fat. Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat is an established dietary strategy for lowering LDL cholesterol, though the effect of a particular serving of hummus is uncertain.

Recipes vary. Hummus made with substantial amounts of saturated-fat-rich ingredients will not offer the same advantage as a version made mainly with chickpeas and unsaturated plant fats.

What does the evidence say about hummus?

Direct evidence on ordinary hummus and cholesterol is limited. In a small study of an omega-3-enriched hummus dip, 13 adults with type 2 diabetes ate the specially fortified dip for 6 weeks. Researchers measured blood lipids and found increases in certain omega-3 fatty acids in the participants’ plasma.

That result does not establish that ordinary hummus lowers LDL cholesterol. The study had no control group, involved few participants and used a dip enriched with long-chain omega-3 fats rather than a standard hummus recipe.

The broader rationale for choosing hummus rests on its ingredients and on replacing saturated fat, not on strong clinical trials of the dip itself. Your cholesterol response also depends on your overall diet and other factors, including genetics.

How can you use hummus in a cholesterol-conscious diet?

Use hummus as a spread in place of a saturated-fat-rich spread, or serve it with vegetables or whole-grain foods. The replacement matters: adding hummus without changing anything else may not have the same effect on your overall saturated fat intake.

When shopping, compare products using the Nutrition Facts label. Look at saturated fat and sodium, and compare equivalent amounts rather than assuming the listed serving sizes are identical. Check the ingredients if you want to know which oils or other fats a product contains.

The amount you eat matters, too. Hummus can contain added oil, and its calorie content varies by recipe, so choose an amount that fits your overall eating pattern rather than assuming that unlimited portions will improve cholesterol.

Homemade hummus lets you choose the ingredients, while a packaged version can be convenient. Either can fit; neither is automatically a better choice without considering its ingredients and what it replaces.

For drink choices that can fit the same eating pattern, see the best drinks for high cholesterol.

Who should be careful with hummus?

People with a sesame or chickpea allergy should avoid hummus containing their allergen and check labels for cross-contact information. If you are pregnant or serving hummus to a young child, follow storage and use-by instructions; ask a child’s clinician about introducing allergens if the child has food allergies or severe eczema.

If you have high LDL cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease or a family history of very high cholesterol or early heart disease, discuss your results and treatment plan with a clinician. Keep taking prescribed medication as directed; do not replace it with hummus or other dietary changes without medical advice.

High cholesterol usually has no warning symptoms. Call emergency services for chest pressure, sudden one-sided weakness or difficulty speaking, or signs of a severe allergic reaction such as throat swelling or trouble breathing.