High total blood cholesterol is a measure of all the cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. If your GP has advised you to change your diet to reduce your blood cholesterol, the NHS says that you should cut down on saturated fat and eat more fibre, including plenty of fruit and vegetables.
There are two main types of fat, saturated and unsaturated. Eating too many foods high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood.
“Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat,” according to the NHS.
The Heart Foundation says that eating plant foods will help you get a range of nutrients, healthy fats, and fibre, as these all promote optimal heart health.
The organisation has outlined seven foods which can help lower high cholesterol levels.
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“Some foods can actively help to lower your cholesterol and they all work in different ways. Try to include these foods in your meals whenever you can,” the site reads.
These include oats and barley, as eating whole grain foods reduces your risk of heart disease.
Eating “a variety of colourful vegetables and fruit everyday” is also recommended, as those which are high in soluble fibre which helps to reduce the absorption of cholesterol. Legumes like chickpeas and lentils are also a good source of soluble fibre.
“Eating plenty of foods that contain heart-healthy mono and poly-unsaturated fats increases the levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol in your blood,” is also important.
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This includes foods such as avocado, olives and oily fish such as mackerel.
Regularly eating nuts is linked to lower levels of triglycerides, but you should consume nuts that have skins on, are unsalted and unroasted.
“Some evidence shows that regularly eating soy products can help to slightly reduce ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and triglycerides,” adds The Heart Foundation.
It also suggests foods that contain plant sterols as part of a balanced diet can reduce ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol.
Although certain foods are good, the site explains “there is no single food that will help to lower your cholesterol and it’s important to focus on the quality of your overall diet.”
As well as eating a healthy diet, an active lifestyle can also help lower your cholesterol level.
Doing 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise every week can improve your cholesterol levels, according to the NHS.
“Moderate aerobic activity means you’re working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat,” it states.
Some people will be offered medication to help lower cholesterol. Statins are medicines that can help lower your cholesterol.
You usually have to continue taking statins for life because if you stop taking them, your cholesterol will return to a high level within a few weeks.
Many people who take statins experience no or very few side effects.
Nonetheless, the NHS warns others experience some “troublesome” side effects, “such as diarrhoea, a headache or feeling sick”.
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