It is generally recognised that diet can have a significant effect on cholesterol levels. Foods that contain saturated fat are particularly bad for your cholesterol levels and should be avoided or minimised as much as possible. These include fatty red meats, biscuits, cakes, pastries, butter, and junk foods.
To help reduce cholesterol levels you should consider the following 5 foods or classes of foodstuffs which are known to be of benefit:
1. Foods containing a high proportion of fibre such as fresh fruit, vegetables, beans, legumes, pulses, and oatmeal. Fibre, especially soluble fibre, is good for helping the digestive process and for reducing the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Consuming 5-10 grams of fibre a day is the minimum to aim for. A cup and a half of cooked oatmeal provides about 6 grams of fibre. Mixing oat cereals with fruit and bran is a good way of adding variety whilst keeping up your daily fibre intake.
2. Oily fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, halibut, and herring, have been shown to help cholesterol balance, as well as decrease blood pressure, and decrease risk of blood clots. At least two servings per week of oily fish are recommended because of their omega-3 fatty acid content. Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that help lower triglyceride levels whilst also elevating HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) levels. Baking or grilling fish is preferable to frying to avoid undue intake of unhealthy fats. Fish oil supplements are an alternative way of getting omega-3s but may be deficient in some other nutrients like selenium.
3. Walnuts, almonds and other nuts and seeds, can be good sources of omega-3 fatty acids and are generally good for you. According to the Food and Drug Administration, eating a handful of nuts a day (42.5 grams), such as hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, or pistachio nuts, may reduce your risk of heart disease (so long as the nuts aren’t salted).
4. Olive oil is rich in mono-unsaturated fats, especially oleic acid, and two tablespoons (23 grams) a day may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. It is of course important that this should replace a similar amount of saturated fat in your diet, otherwise you may not get any benefit and are just adding calories. Regular intake can have favourable effects on cholesterol regulation and LDL cholesterol oxidation. The latter is thought to be particularly beneficial in reducing arterial plaque build-up. In addition to its anti-oxidant properties, olive oil is also anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, and anti-hypertensive.
Olive oil also seems able to displace omega-6 fatty acids, while not having any impact on omega-3 fatty acids, helping to build a more healthy balance between the two. The less processed types of olive oil are thought to give maximum health benefits.
5. Sterols and Stanols are naturally occurring plant substances, that, when taken in fairly substantial amounts, are able to block uptake of cholesterol from the gut. They reduce total and LDL cholesterol but have little effect on HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Because they occur in plants, a vegetarian biased diet will provide the maximum benefit. Sterols and stanols are found in good amounts in rice bran, avocados, wheat germ, and extra virgin olive oil, and are also now added to various manufactured foods such as margarine and yoghurts. The effectiveness of sterols and stanols seems to vary widely from one individual to another, but a recent study of 72 people with slightly raised cholesterol, taking 2 gram a day of sterol in orange juice showed a reduction of LDL cholesterol by about 12% over a period of 8 weeks.
By eating healthily and choosing many foods that can help reduce cholesterol levels you can reduce your risk of developing artery and heart disease, as well as improving your health generally, and all without having to resort to drugs or medicines.
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