The NHS shared two key tips to lower cholesterol without having to take statins, after a patient said they were struggling with the side effects of the drug
A top doctor has revealed how you can lower your cholesterol levels without resorting to statins, in response to a patient who was struggling with the side effects of the drug. The patient asked: “I have high cholesterol, but when I tried statins, I didn’t like the side effects. What are non-pharmaceutical ways to lower my cholesterol?”.
The NHS explains that high cholesterol is primarily caused by eating fatty food, lack of exercise, being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol, and it can also be hereditary. They advise that you can reduce your cholesterol by maintaining a healthy diet and increasing physical activity.
Some individuals may also need to take medication such as statins. The health service further warns: “Too much cholesterol can block your blood vessels. It makes you more likely to have heart problems or a stroke. High cholesterol does not usually cause symptoms. You can only find out if you have it from a blood test.”
Dr Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology suggested lifestyle changes: ” When we exercise, HDL cholesterol is released into the bloodstream, where it sweeps up fatty plaque deposits in the blood vessels and transports them to the liver for disposal.”
Dr Roberto Lobelo, a cardiac expert added: “The AHA (American Heart Association) recommends that all adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, per week. That can include walking, swimming, lifting weights, dancing or whatever else you enjoy and can do without injury.
“The key is to ensure that your heart rate is elevated enough. If you’re struggling to keep up your end of a conversation while you’re exercising, that’s how you know you’re working hard enough.”
The guidance also emphasises that nutrition plays a crucial role, with specialists advocating for the portfolio diet – which encompasses soy-based foods such as tofu alongside other plant-derived proteins including beans, lentils and chickpeas; fibre-rich options like oats, barley, psyllium husk, berries, apples and citrus fruits; nuts and seeds; avocado; and beneficial plant-based oils such as rapeseed oil and olive oil – which can assist in reducing cholesterol levels, according to Andrea Glenn, a nutrition researcher at New York University.
During an analysis of seven clinical trials involving approximately 440 participants who suffered from elevated cholesterol but weren’t requiring medication, scientists discovered that the portfolio diet assisted in cutting their LDL cholesterol by as much as 30 per cent.
This proves roughly as successful as the earlier forms of statin medications that were commonly prescribed during the ’90s, Dr. Glenn explained. Dr Glenn and her colleagues tracked approximately 210,000 American adults for roughly 30 years in research published in 2023.
They discovered that participants who strictly adhered to this eating plan had a 14 per cent reduced risk of heart disease compared to those who consumed fewer of these foods, Dr Glenn explained.
The portfolio diet is effective because it brings together different types of foods and nutrients that help reduce cholesterol through various mechanisms, she explained.
Plant-based proteins such as beans, chickpeas and soya products, for example, can block the creation of apolipoprotein B, which typically assists your body in absorbing cholesterol from meals. Viscous fibre captures or binds cholesterol in the gut, making it more difficult to absorb.
Meanwhile, nuts provide excellent sources of unsaturated fatty acids, plant sterols and fibre, all of which can reduce LDL cholesterol levels.
Simply incorporating or substituting a handful of foods – such as sprinkling nuts on your morning granola or replacing red meat with chickpeas or tofu – can help enhance your cholesterol levels, Dr Glenn explained.
“There’s certainly no magic bullet,” Dr Hu stated. However, diet, physical activity and other wholesome lifestyle choices can make a significant difference in helping to reduce cholesterol. He added, “We have to think about it from a holistic point of view.”
NHS advice on lowering cholesterol:
Eat less fatty food
To reduce your cholesterol, try to cut down on fatty food, especially food that contains a type of fat called saturated fat.
You can still have foods that contain a healthier type of fat called unsaturated fat.
Check labels on food to see what type of fat it has in it.
Try to eat more:
- oily fish, like mackerel and salmon
- olive oil, rapeseed oil and spreads made from these oils
- brown rice, wholegrain bread and wholewheat pasta
- nuts and seeds
- fruits and vegetables
Try to eat less:
- meat pies, sausages and fatty meat
- butter, lard and ghee
- cream and hard cheese, like cheddar
- cakes and biscuits
- food that contains coconut oil or palm oil
Exercise more
Aim to do at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of exercise a week.
Some good things to try when starting out include:
- walking – try to walk fast enough so your heart starts beating faster
- swimming
- cycling
Try a few different exercises to find something you like doing. You’re more likely to keep doing it if you enjoy it.
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