Eat to Beat High Cholesterol
By WLR Dietitian
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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