Health experts have advices people to make two simple changes to their diet to lower their cholesterol levels before it gets so bad they need to take drugs like statins. High cholesterol is sometimes called a ‘silent killer’ because it can cause potentially fatal issues like heart attacks and strokes, but often there is little physical sign of it.
High cholesterol can lead to fatty deposits in the arteries and over time, this build-up can narrow them, making it harder for blood to flow. This increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious health problems,
Older adults often experience higher cholesterol levels due to ageing and changes in metabolism. Genetic factors also play a significant role; conditions like familial hypercholesterolemia cause high cholesterol from a young age.
Too much saturated fat in your diet can raise your cholesterol levels, but a healthy balanced diet can help to lower them. Swapping saturated fats for unsaturated fats and eating more fibre can make a big difference to your cholesterol level, the British Heart Foundation has said.
Unsaturated fats
Unsaturated fats in foods like vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, avocado and oily fish are healthy fats that can help maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels. Try these swaps to help you reduce your saturated fat intake:
- swapping butter to vegetable oil spreads like sunflower, olive or rapeseed oil spreads
- switching whole milk to skimmed milk
- using natural yoghurt instead of sour cream or double cream
- replacing regular mince with leaner, lower fat options
- swapping red or processed meat for fish, turkey or chicken without the skin, or plant-based proteins such as lentils, soya or Quorn
- switching your crisps for unsalted nuts or seeds
- using reduced fat cheese instead of regular cheese
- ordering fewer takeaways
Fibre
Eating high-fibre food can also help to lower your cholesterol. Fibre helps reduce the amount of cholesterol that is absorbed into the blood stream from your digestive system (also known as the intestine). Some ways you can eat more fibre include;
- eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day
- eating pulses such as lentils, beans and chickpeas
- snacking on nuts and seeds
- choosing more wholegrain foods, such as brown or granary bread over white bread and brown rice over white rice
- replacing sugary cereals with wholegrain options or oats.
The NHS has warned of three popular foods, high in saturated fat, that we should cut back on to keep our cholesterol low and protect our hearts. These are meat pies, sausages and fatty meats.
This is backed by advice from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which explains that the biggest proportion of saturated fats we eat comes from this type of food.
The charity says: “Red and processed meats (including beef, lamb, pork, bacon and ham, and dishes made from them) are one of the biggest sources of saturated fat in the average UK diet.
“These meats are usually higher in saturated fat than skinless chicken or turkey, and if they’re in a pie, pasty or quiche, the pastry will add even more saturated fat.”
To limit your saturated fat intake, the BHF says: “You can reduce the saturated fat in your diet by choosing leaner cuts of meat, lean or extra lean minced meat, and swapping from red meat to chicken, fish or plant protein (like beans, lentils or tofu) instead.”
Other sources of saturated fat to avoid include:
- Butter, lard and ghee
- Cream and hard cheese, like cheddar
- Cakes and biscuits
- Food that contains coconut oil or palm oil.
If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels you should speak to your doctor.