Limit saturated fats and eat a well-balanced diet to lower your cholesterol.
Getty
If your cholesterol (and specifically your LDL cholesterol) is too high, you’re at greater risk of
heart disease
and stroke.
By reducing saturated fats in your diet, you can lower your cholesterol.
Saturated fats are usually hard, solid fats, Campbell said. They are found in fatty meats and fats such as butter, lard, palm oil, coconut oil, cream, pies, and pastry.
Campbell recommends minimizing these and eating healthier fats such as rapeseed oil, olive oils, oily fish, nuts, seeds, and avocado.
Eating a well balanced, fiber-rich diet including plenty of fruit, vegetables, beans, pulses, and whole grains can help manage cholesterol. Oats are also beneficial because they contain a substance called beta glucan which “mops up” cholesterol and reduces its absorption, Campbell said.
Maintaining a healthy body weight and being physically active also helps keep cholesterol levels in check, but genes play a role too, Campbell said.
Campbell shared seven meals that can help lower cholesterol levels, from red chili and bean soup to cauliflower dal.
