High cholesterol is synonymous with a fat-laden diet, but it can also be hereditary, making it harder to tackle in some cases.
The good news is that dietary approaches have received substantial scientific backing for their ability to reduce the condition.
Research shows, for instance, that certain eating patterns effectively reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, providing natural alternatives to medical interventions.
Speaking to GB News, registered dietitian nutritionist Shelley Balls, noted: “I can’t say that certain foods are more effective than taking statins, but one thing is for sure, certain eating patterns have been shown to be very effective at lowering cholesterol levels.”
Spices may reduce cholesterol levels
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These dietary approaches range from incorporating specific spices to choosing heart-healthy fats and fibre-rich foods in the diet, according to the expert.
“For example, spices like cinnamon, cayenne, pepper, garlic, ginger and turmeric have all been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol,” Shelley noted.
Spices like these can easily be incorporated into meals to help manage cholesterol through diet.
The dietitian continued: “Consuming a diet high in dietary fibre helps decrease dietary fat absorption and helps lower cholesterol levels in your blood
“High fibre foods include beans, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains.”
Soluble fibre, the main type of fibre found in plant foods, can bind to cholesterol in the intestine and remove it from the body.
Because foods rich in this type of fibre directly lower cholesterol levels in the blood, they are deemed essential components of a heart-healthy diet.
Shelley added that substituting saturated fats with unsaturated alternatives will markedly reduce the dangerous lipids.
Leafy greens stop cholesterol from sticking to the arterial walls
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In some studies, researchers noted that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat produced an estimated 10 per cent reduction in coronary heart disease risk for each five per cent of saturated fat replaced with polyunsaturated fat.
Finally, Shelley cited dark leafy greens as a particularly helpful dietary addition for managing cholesterol.
“Consumption of dark leafy greens such as spinach and kale have been shown to be very effective at lowering cholesterol levels,” the expert noted.
Not only do the concentrations of lutein and other carotenoids in the green reduce cholesterol concentrations in the blood, but they also prevent the lipids from sticking to the arterial walls.
