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Eat to Beat High Cholesterol

By WLR Dietitian, Juliette Kellow BSc RD

A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals that eating a certain combination of heart-healthy foods, including fish, oatmeal, almonds and lean meat, can help to reduce ‘bad’ or LDL cholesterol as much as medication.

After a year of following a healthy heart diet, a third of the subjects in the study had lowered their LDL cholesterol by at least a fifth – a similar effect to that achieved by cholesterol-lowering drugs. Another third, which followed the eating plan less strictly, achieved an average reduction of 15 percent. And even the least compliant group lowered their LDL cholesterol by 10 percent.

Dr David Jenkins, who was involved in the study, said, “This study is exciting because it shows an effective dietary approach to lower cholesterol levels isn’t as hard or as intimidating as we previously thought it was. The patients ate things that the average person eats every day.”

WLR says:

This research shows how important it is to always try diet as a first line of treatment before turning to medication. As most WLR members already know, changing your eating habits can have many positive effects on health, including lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. In the meantime, losing weight can also help to boost health, as well as making you look and feel great. So if you’ve let things slip, now’s the time to get back on track. 

More Information

H.E.A.R.T. - The Cholesterol Charity

HEART UK supports all those at risk of inherited high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. www.heartuk.org.uk

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