By eating more fruit, veg, fish, wholegrains, nuts and olive oil, and less red meat and cakes and pastries, participants slashed their heart attack risk by a third.
These new findings fit with an emerging school of thought that suggests the need for statins has been exaggerated.
Some experts even think lowering your cholesterol too much with medication could trigger other health problems such as memory loss and depression.
Furthermore, there’s evidence that people taking statins are prone to the ‘invincibility effect’ – in other words, thinking they can eat and drink whatever they like because the pills are protecting their heart!
“Lowering cholesterol reduces your risk of heart disease,” says consultant cardiologist Dr Amanda Varnava from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, “but in many cases, lifestyle changes are all that’s needed.
What causes people to have high cholesterol?
A combination of genes and diet. Eating things high in saturated fat, such as butter and cream, and processed meat like sausages and fast food, raises cholesterol.
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The exercise
Fitness trainer Nicola Ayres says regular exercise boosts good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol by as much as 5%. Choose any activity that ups your heart rate, such as swimming, jogging – even housework or gardening.
Aim for 30-40 minutes, five days a week. You can break it into 10 or 15-minute chunks to fit it into your day. Any exercise will help improve your health.
The food plan
Sticking tightly to the Portfolio Diet, developed by Professor David Jenkins, can lower cholesterol by up to 20%. And the good news is, you only have to follow two very simple rules.
1) Swap foods high in saturated fat, such as red meat and full-fat dairy, for chicken or fish, and low-fat dairy products.
2) Eat plenty of the following six cholesterol-busting foodstuffs.
Soya
Why? Eating soya protein daily – in the form of soya beans, milk or tofu – can help the liver remove bad cholesterol, reducing levels by as much as 5%.
How much? 25g daily – that’s a glass of soya milk and a soya yoghurt.
High fibre
Why? Consuming more fibre – as found in wholemeal cereals, fruit, veg and beans – significantly reduces your level of bad cholesterol. Even just swapping white bread for wholemeal can make a considerable difference.
How much? 15g daily – that’s one slice of wholemeal toast with baked beans.
Plant sterols
Why? There’s evidence to show daily use of products such as Benecol and Flora pro.activ, which contain 2mg of plant sterols, can help lower cholesterol by up to 10% when taken as part of a healthy diet.
They do the job by blocking the body’s absorption of cholesterol.
How much? 2mg daily – that’s one yoghurt drink.
Nuts
Why? Snacking on nuts every day – in particular almonds and walnuts – can reduce bad cholesterol by 5%.How much? Eat around 70g daily – that’s a small handful.
Oily fish
Why? Fish rich in omega-3 acids, such as salmon and mackerel, can help boost your good cholesterol levels.
How much? One to two portions per week – if you don’t like fish, try taking a daily omega-3 fish oil supplement instead.
Oats
Why? Eating oats every day can lower cholesterol, as the high level of soluble fibre stops the body absorbing fat.
How much? 40g daily – or around one bowl of porridge.
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