How to lower your cholesterol through diet
Have you been told you need to lower your cholesterol by your doctor?
Having high cholesterol increases the risk of developing heart disease and stroke. The good news? The food you eat can have a significant positive impact! When it comes to diet, lowering your cholesterol levels involves eating at least 25 to 30 grams of dietary fibre each day, changing the balance of different fats you eat and consuming more phytosterols. To get your started, here are our Dietitian-approved top tips to lower your cholesterol through food.
EAT MORE SOLUBLE FIBRE
Soluble fibre traps the “sticky” cholesterol (also known as LDL cholesterol) and prevents it from building up in the bloodstream which can lead to heart disease. Rich sources of soluble fibre include barley, oats, legumes, psyllium husk, chia seeds and the flesh of fruit and vegetables. Easy strategies to add more fibre to your diet include:
Swapping to whole grain breads, cereals and wholemeal flour
Including oats at breakfast which contain beta-glucan, a potent cholesterol-lowering nutrient
Bulking out meals with legumes – try lentils in bolognese, chickpeas in curries, baked beans on toast, lentils, barley in soups or our One Pot Wonder Chilli Con Carne recipe
Adding oat bran, barley bran, chia seeds or psyllium husk to your bowl of cereal and baking recipes (hint, try our Strawberry Maple Chia Pods!)
Including two pieces of fruit each day
Adding an extra handful of vegetables to lunch and dinner
SWAP FOODS HIGH IN SATURATED FATS FOR FOODS RICH IN UNSATURATED FATS
Saturated fat is strongly associated with increased levels of LDL cholesterol. It is found in deep fried foods, cakes, butter, biscuits, processed meats, full fat dairy products, fatty cuts of meat and poultry, coconut oil and palm oil.
Replacing these with mono-unsaturated fats (MUFA) and poly-unsaturated fats (PUFA) will reduce your LDL cholesterol and boost your “good” cholesterol (also known as HDL). Keep in mind, completely eliminating all saturated fat from your diet is not necessary! Rather, it is the overall balance of the different dietary fats you consume that is most important.
Sources of MUFA: extra virgin olive oil, almonds, cashews, seeds, avocado, olives
Sources of PUFA: walnuts, chia seeds, linseeds, salmon, tuna, sardines
INCLUDE PHYTOSTEROLS AND STEROL-ENRICHED FOODS DAILY
Phytosterols are cholesterol-like substances which reduce cholesterol absorption. They do this by competing for binding sites in the gut. Naturally occuring phytosterols are found in plant foods however, sterol-enriched products are available such as some milks, breakfast cereals and oats. When combined with a high fibre low saturated fat diet, consuming two to three grams of phytosterols each day has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol by up to 9%!
If you need help with lowering your cholesterol, book in with one of our Accredited Practising Dietitians for personalised support.