Can I lower my cholesterol through dietary changes?
We know that it’s possible to lower your blood cholesterol level by making changes to your diet. This is great news as a healthy lifestyle may mean you can avoid, or at least reduce your reliance on medication to control cholesterol levels.
The keys to lowering blood cholesterol levels through diet include:
Eating the right type and amount of fat
Reducing saturated fat and replacing it with healthy fats can help lower cholesterol levels. For example:
- Snack on nuts and seeds instead of cakes, biscuits and pastries
- Use oils such as olive and canola oil, avocado or margarine instead of butter
- Choose reduced-fat dairy products.
Eating the right type and amount of fibre
A diet rich in fibre can help lower cholesterol levels. Make sure you are getting enough fibre each day by having two serves of fruit, five serves of vegetables and choosing wholegrain breads and cereals.
Weight management
If you are above your healthy weight, losing weight can help lower cholesterol levels.
Include plant sterols
Plant sterol enriched foods such as margarine spreads can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels by up to 10 percent.
For more information on cholesterol visit The ins and outs of cholesterol.