Lowering Cholesterol

Lowering cholesterol is not easy, and it can be terribly confusing when you're told that foods like eggs have a lot of cholesterol - does that mean you can't eat eggs.

No, it doesn't. If you avoided eating foods with high levels of cholesterol, you'd only be reducing your total cholesterol level by 10 percent.1

It is also pertinant to note that changing or replacing your consumption of one particular food with another, may not be lowering cholesterol, unless it is accompanied with a total dietary change as well as changes in habits such as smoking, weight, and physical activity.5

So given these conditions, what are the principles you need to know in lowering cholesterol ?

Below I've outlined the dietary concerns that you should be looking for when looking after cholesterol levels. They are:

Adding More Fiber Rich Foods

The extra fiber helps your body get rid of cholesterol quicker. Recent research suggests that it may not only be the fiber that contributes to lower cholesterol levels, but the oil contained within the cereals. Most et. al (2005) examined the effect of defatted rice bran and rice bran oil in an average American diet on blood lipids in 26 healthy individuals who had moderately high blood cholesterol levels. Their results showed that the consumption of the rice bran oil led to a reduction in LDL cholesterol by 7%.3 Other research is suggesting also that it may be the vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants contained within fiber rich foods that are also playing roles in lowering cholesterol.4 Hence the next few categories.

Add more anti-oxidants

Add more anti-oxidants to your diet through leafy vegetables containing carotenoids and flavonoids. Increase your intake of green leafy vegetables such as the spinach and brussell sprouts. Anti-oxidants protect against bad levels of cholesterol by preventing LDL cholesterol from oxidising inside cells and causing fatty streaks on the inside of blood vessell walls.1. Anti-oxidants can be found in onions, brocolli, green tea, black tea, citrus fruits and many other foods.

High intakes of foods containing folate and B12,

Eating foods high in folate and B12 keep levels of an amino acid called homocysteine in check. When levels of this amino acid are too high, the risk of heart problems start to occur.

Keep saturated fats low.

The Seven Countries study (headed by Ancel Keys at the University of Minessota followed 13,000 middle aged men between 1958 and 1970.) found that diets very high in certain types of fat were linked to a decreased rate of coronary heart disease. The Seven Countries study was able to make the first connection between eating saturated fats and high levels of cholesterol and heart disease.2

Lowering cholesterol principles also include adding plant sterols to your diet, and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol regularly such as a glass of red wine a day.

References:

1. Saxelby p.141-3

2. University of Minessota Seven Countries Study Overview

3. Most MM, Tulley R, Morales S, Lefevre M. Rice bran oil, not fiber, lowers cholesterol in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jan;81(1):64-8.

4. James W. Anderson, MD, Tammy J. Hanna, BS, Xuejun Peng, BS and Richard J. Kryscio, PhD Whole Grain Foods and Heart Disease Risk Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 19, No. 90003, 291S-299S (2000)

5. C. N. M. Kelly1,CA1, S. A. Stanner1 Diet and cardiovascular disease in the UK: are the messages getting across? Proceedings of the Nutrition Society

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