High cholesterol: Nutritionist reveals top prevention tips
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One of the main ways you can lower your levels of LDL cholesterol is through your diet.
Helpfully, Harvard Medical School has compiled a list of 11 foods that can help you lower the levels of LDL cholesterol in your system.
These foods will also help you lower your triglycerides levels, a type of blood fat.
It helps your body release energy, but too much of it can be harmful.
The first of the foods named by Harvard to help you lower your cholesterol is a common staple found in cereals and oatmeal.
Adding oats into your diet can increase the amount of soluble fibre in your system.
Soluble fibre helps to reduce the rate at which cholesterol is absorbed by your body into the bloodstream.
Harvard Medical School recommends a fibre intake of around 20 to 35 grams.
Alongside oats, barley and other wholegrains are also recommended.
This is because they also deliver soluble fibre into your body.
Beans, also rich in fibre, are next on the list.
A variety can be chosen from including navy and kidney beans.
Nuts, including almonds, walnuts and peanuts are good for lowering cholesterol and improving your heart.
Vegetable oils such as sunflower can be used instead of butter to help you lower your LDL levels.
So can eggplant and okra; these are alternative sources of soluble fibre.
If you’re looking for something sweeter, citrus fruits, strawberries, grapes and apples are full of pectin that is effective in lowering your cholesterol.
Furthermore, foods with sterols and stanols are also recommended.
These naturally occurring compounds can be found in granola and chocolate and other foodstuffs.
All these can be found in your local supermarket alongside soybeans, fatty fish and fibre supplements that are all acknowledged as being able to lower your cholesterol.
For those with further questions about cholesterol, additional guidance is available via the NHS website.
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