How to actually lower your cholesterol
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Your first step is to know your cholesterol levels. Even if you have good numbers, you can make heart-healthy choices to prevent high cholesterol in the future. Work with your doctor to come up with the best cholesterol goals for you and the best ways to get there. Pacold notes that exercise has a greater effect on raising HDL cholesterol, which protects you from heart disease, than on lowering the LDL cholesterol that puts you at risk.
If you have a heart condition, talk with your doctor first about how much exertion is right for you when you begin, and then work your way up to your fitness goals for heart health. Along with exercising, eating a healthy diet is one of the most important things you can do to reach and maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Learn how to read nutrition labels and know the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats.
Calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, and trans fat numbers are all right there on the nutrition facts label to help you make heart-healthy choices.
Limit saturated fats and trans fats in your diet to improve your cholesterol numbers. Examples include butter, lard, and coconut oil. Cold-water ocean fish, like salmon and mackerel, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids , which help lower fats in the blood and can protect your heart, according to the American Heart Association.
Flaxseeds, walnuts, and even mixed greens are plant-based options to get more omega-3s in your diet. A portion of starchy carbohydrate, like potato or pasta, should be only about half the size of a baseball.
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A heart-healthy portion of meat should be about the size of a deck of playing cards, or about three ounces. Cooking at home will give you more control over your portion sizes, as well as what goes into each dish.
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Once you control your protein and starch portions, you can fill the rest of your plate with heart-healthy fruits and vegetables. Aim for four to five servings of vegetables and four to five servings of fruits every day. Some studies suggest that quitting smoking can lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.
These four foods are proven to lower your cholesterol
Too much stress increases bad cholesterol levels, is bad for your blood pressure, and contributes to coronary artery disease. Start by identifying your sources of bad stress and then learn ways to deal with it. Eating too many foods high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood. Eating foods that contain unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat can actually help reduce cholesterol levels. Trans fats can also raise cholesterol levels. Artificial trans fats can be found in hydrogenated fat, so some processed foods, such as biscuits and cakes, can contain trans fats. In the UK, manufacturers and most of the supermarkets have reduced the amount of trans fats in their products.
You should see it in your inbox very soon. A study of over 15, adults also found that omega-3 fatty acids, including from fish oil supplements, reduced the risk of heart disease and prolonged life expectancy Tangney CC, et al. In fact, the Portfolio diet decreased LDL cholesterol by 17 percent and the risk of developing coronary heart disease over the course of a decade by 13 percent. Thanks for signing up for our newsletter! Braun LT, et al.
Most people in the UK do not eat a lot of trans fats, but you should keep checking food labels for hydrogenated fats or oils. Eating plenty of fibre helps lower your risk of heart disease, and some high-fibre foods can help lower your cholesterol.
Cholesterol lowering foods
Aim to eat at least 5 portions of different fruit and vegetables a day. Some foods naturally contain cholesterol, called dietary cholesterol. Foods such as kidneys, eggs and prawns are higher in dietary cholesterol than other foods. Dietary cholesterol has much less of an effect on the level of cholesterol in your blood than the amount of saturated fat you eat does.
Six Super Foods for Lower Cholesterol
If your GP has advised you to change your diet to reduce your blood cholesterol, the most important thing to do is to cut down on saturated fat. An active lifestyle can also help lower your cholesterol level. Activities can range from walking and cycling to more vigorous exercise, such as running and energetic dancing.
Moderate aerobic activity means you're working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat.
One way to tell whether you're exercising at a moderate intensity is if you can still talk but cannot sing the words to a song. Read more about getting more active and achieving your recommended activity levels. If your doctor has told you that you have high cholesterol and you can lower it by changing your diet, there's no need to buy special products to lower your cholesterol.
Fats and cholesterol
These products are not recommended by doctors and are no substitute for a healthy, balanced diet. These products are designed for people who already have high cholesterol, but it's not essential to eat plant sterols or stanols to help manage your cholesterol.
There may be other, simpler and less expensive changes you can make, such as eating a healthy, balanced diet and being more physically active. If you do eat foods designed to lower your cholesterol, read the label carefully. For most other people, the first way to tackle high cholesterol is by making changes to your diet and getting more active.
People who need statins can be prescribed them, and your GP can also advise you on healthy lifestyle changes. Some pharmacies sell low-dose statins, which you can buy without a prescription, but they're no substitute for lowering your cholesterol by eating a healthy, balanced diet and being active.
More in High Cholesterol
Speak to your pharmacist if you're considering over-the-counter statins. If you have high cholesterol and need statins, your GP will prescribe them and monitor how well they're working. Skip to main content.