Dietary cholesterol has a small impact on blood cholesterol levels. Saturated fat rich foods, like red meats and ultra processed foods, can raise blood cholesterol. Following a low fat diet to lower cholesterol is a mistake. Consuming healthy fats and oils can improve blood cholesterol levels. Types of fat that increase cholesterol are saturated fats, while poly and monounsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds can reduce blood cholesterol levels.
More than half of us have high cholesterol — and new research suggests that having even slightly raised levels in our 30s could significantly increase our chances of developing heart disease.
Medication is a common fix, but it comes with side effects. So, today we’re looking at how much changing our diets can help.
In this short (ish) episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah ask: Can we lower our cholesterol by changing our diets?
Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/
Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide
Studies referenced in the episode:
- ‘Association between Carbohydrate Intake and Serum Lipids’ from the Journal of the American Nutrition Association here
- ‘The Mediterranean Diet And Cardioprotection: Historical Overview And Current Research from the Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare here
- ‘Direct comparison of dietary portfolio vs statin on C-reactive protein’ from the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition here
This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.