High cholesterol can quietly work behind the scenes increasing your risk of serious cardiovascular conditions, including heart attack and stroke. It is defined as having a total cholesterol of 200 mg/dL or higher. Risk factors include eating too much saturated fat and exercising too little. And in the age of internet there is just so many tips on how to lower your cholesterol naturally, some work some do not. Among the many posts, one Reddit user claims that one simple diet change lowered her cholesterol levels by 15%. Let us see what that is and does it actually hold true in the test of science.
What is the story?
A Reddit user, who goes by the handle CattrahM, shared that, as a 41-year-old female, she was on a quest for a “natural remedy” to lower her cholesterol after her levels hit 200 mg/dL. She decided to try a mostly plant-based diet.In her post, she shares, “I committed to be 80%-85% plant-based (in the way I calculate, this is only eating 1-3 meals a week that have significant meat or dairy) with as much WFPB as I could and this has been a really nice balance of overall eating more healthy and still enjoying special occasions and sometimes I just want chili cheese fries.” WFPB stands for whole foods, plant-based.After one year of following this diet, she shared updated lab results to the page. Her values show a nearly 30 mg/dL decrease to her total cholesterol, with her current TC measuring at 172 mg/dL. Due to her family history of high cholesterol, heart bypass surgeries and heart attacks, she reports feeling motivated to continue to improve her diet and increase her physical activity.In addition to her total cholesterol improvements she reported notable changes in her other lipid values too. Her LDL (“bad”) cholesterol dropped from 135 mg/dL to 105 mg/dL; HDL (“good”) cholesterol remained stable at 50 mg/dL; and non-HDL cholesterol dropped from 150 mg/dL to 120 mg/dL.While she didn’t share much more information, such as her usual daily diet intake or exercise regime, she attributes her success to her mostly plant-based diet.While no single eating pattern fits everyone, many of the principles of a plant-based diet are aligned with science-backed recommendations for lowering cholesterol and improving overall heart health.
Can plant based diet bring such a drastic impact?
There’s substantial research showing that diets centered on plant foods, vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, tend to lower key cholesterol markers: A large meta-analysis published in European Heart Journal(Oxford Academic) found that vegetarian and vegan diets reduced total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol compared with omnivorous diets. The analysis reported significant reductions in total cholesterol and LDL levels and a meaningful drop in apolipoprotein B, a marker linked to cardiovascular risk, after adoption of a plant-based eating pattern.Another systematic review and meta-analysis(Nutrition Reviews) comparing plant-based and omnivorous diets found that vegetarian eating patterns were associated with lower mean total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in both observational and clinical studies. She did, however, say that not stop eating meat or dairy completely. This flexibility is important, as overly restrictive diets, such as very low-carb or low-fat plans, are often difficult to maintain long term, tend to fail over time, and may even increase the risk of unhealthy eating patterns, including disordered eating behaviours.Note: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new medication or treatment and before changing your diet or supplement regimen.