The role of saturated fat in heart disease is currently under debate. But it has some benefits, too - it lowers triglycerides and nudges up levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. Saturated fat can increase your levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol. Typical sources of saturated fat include animal products, such as red meat, whole-fat dairy products, and eggs, and also a few vegetable oils, such as palm oil, coconut oil, and cocoa butter. Genes play a role, too - some people are genetically programmed to respond more readily to what they eat - but genes aren’t something you can change. Harmful LDL creeps upward and protective HDL drifts downward largely because of diet and other lifestyle choices. Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruitsĨ. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the body from absorbing cholesterol.ħ. Some give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. Some deliver soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Without that step, you are engaging in a holding action instead of a steady - and tasty - victory.ĭifferent foods lower cholesterol in various ways. At the same time, cut back on foods that boost LDL. Doing this requires a two-pronged strategy: Add foods that lower LDL. The reverse is true, too - changing what foods you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the armada of fats floating through your bloodstream. It’s easy to eat your way to an alarmingly high cholesterol level. However, 50g per day of plant protein is recommended, and this can come from lentils, beans and chickpeas too.If your diet gave you high cholesterol, it can lower it, too Consuming 25g of soya protein a day (about 300g of tofu or 600ml of soya milk) can lower low-density LDL cholesterol by five to six percent, research has found. As soya protein is also low in saturated fat, it's a good replacement for foods with a high amount of saturated fat, such as red meat. Soya and other bean proteins appear to help reduce the amount of cholesterol made in your liver, studies show. It's unlikely that people with healthy levels of cholesterol will benefit from such fortified foods. You need about 2g sterols and stanols a day, which is two to five teaspoons of margarine with added plant sterols, or one yogurt. It's almost impossible to eat enough sterols and stanols from plants alone, but it can be done by eating foods such as a plant sterol-enriched margarine or yogurt. Your body then needs to use more cholesterol to make more bile, which lowers your blood cholesterol. This means less cholesterol and bile acid (created when cholesterol is processed by your liver, it helps you process dietary fats) go back into your system. They work by mimicking cholesterol and competing with it to be absorbed from your stomach. Plant sterols and stanols (phytosterols) are found naturally in green leafy vegetables, vegetable oil, nuts and seeds. Research shows that a 45g daily almond snack (two handfuls) is enough to make a real difference for some, but even a daily handful (23 almonds) can help. Other nuts have a similar effect, including peanuts, pistachios and walnuts. They contain antioxidants (Vitamin E and polyphenolics), which can help stop the oxidisation of cholesterol (which makes it stick to arteries). AlmondsĪlmonds reduce bad cholesterol while maintaining good cholesterol, thanks to their monounsaturated fats. Other soluble fibre-rich foods include barley, oatbran, psyllium, apples, strawberries and aubergines.
WAYS TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL PLUS
One 30g portion of oats will provide 0.75g of beta-glucan, so about three servings of oats are needed each day (that's a bowl of porridge plus either six oatcakes or two slices of oat bread). About 3g of beta-glucan daily is typically needed to reduce cholesterol to safe levels. These stick to cholesterol-rich bile acids in the stomach and stop cholesterol from being reabsorbed into the body, resulting in it being eliminated instead. Oats contain types of soluble fibres, including 'beta-glucans'. If you eat the recommended amount of only one of the four food groups, research shows you could reduce your blood cholesterol by 5 to 10 percent, but this increases significantly if you eat all four in combination. Dr Jenkins' dietary portfolio involves eating one or more of the following four foods daily while sticking to a 2000-calorie diet low in saturated fat and salt and high in fibre, fruit and veg.