Daijiworld Media Network – London
London, Nov 14: For many, high cholesterol has come to feel like an inevitable part of ageing — one more number expected to rise over time. With nearly 30 million Americans taking statins each year, the medication has become one of the country’s top prescriptions. But cholesterol itself isn’t the enemy. It is a vital fat the body uses to build cells, make vitamin D, and produce hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone.
Trouble begins when LDL — the “bad” cholesterol — outweighs HDL, the “good” cholesterol that clears it from arteries. These silent buildups narrow blood vessels, laying the groundwork for heart disease long before symptoms appear. NHS guidelines advise keeping total cholesterol below 5 mmol/L, with HDL above 1.0 for men and 1.2 for women. Yet medication isn’t the only solution.
According to Dr Ali Khavandi, consultant interventional cardiologist at Sulis Hospital, lifestyle remains the biggest factor. “In the modern world, high cholesterol is most commonly lifestyle-related and you can smash that through dietary and lifestyle changes,” he told The Telegraph.
Here are the nine changes he recommends:
Choose good fats over ‘low-fat’ foods
Cutting saturated fats remains important, but replacing them with single-ingredient, unsaturated foods makes the real difference. Oily fish, nuts, seeds, olives and avocados outperform heavily processed “low-fat” products. A New England Journal of Medicine study found diets rich in extra-virgin olive oil or mixed nuts significantly lowered cardiovascular risk.
A daily glass of tomato juice
Lycopene, the antioxidant that gives tomatoes their colour, binds to LDL and helps prevent oxidation. Studies, including one in Food Science and Nutrition, show unsalted tomato juice can lower LDL and blood pressure within weeks.
Start your day with porridge
Oats contain beta-glucan, a soluble fibre that forms a gel in the gut and blocks cholesterol absorption. Research in the British Journal of Nutrition confirms regular oat consumption reduces LDL in a matter of weeks.
Boost natural plant sterols
Plant sterols and stanols compete with cholesterol in the intestine, reducing absorption. Broccoli, cauliflower and avocado are rich in sterols, while peanuts, almonds and sunflower seeds are good sources of stanols.
Add more beans to meals
Replacing refined carbohydrates with lentils, beans, chickpeas and other pulses cuts LDL by increasing soluble fibre, which binds cholesterol and helps eliminate it.
Skip snacks — or choose nuts
Time-restricted eating, often within a 10-hour window, has been linked to lower LDL and triglycerides. If snacking is unavoidable, replacing crisps and sweets with whole nuts — especially almonds — has shown improvements in LDL and vascular function.
Cut down on alcohol
Alcohol raises triglycerides and increases LDL, especially in frequent drinkers. Reducing daily intake often leads to quick, measurable improvements.
Swap butter for extra-virgin olive oil
Olive oil’s monounsaturated fats and antioxidants lower LDL, boost HDL and protect arteries from plaque buildup.
These simple lifestyle changes, experts say, can meaningfully rebalance cholesterol levels — often without the need for medication.