Healthy Eating Beats Cholesterol
Effect of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods given at 2 levels of intensity of dietary advice on serum lipids in hyperlipidemia: a randomized controlled trial.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study tested if eating certain healthy foods could lower bad cholesterol in people with high levels. Some got lots of help to eat the right foods, others got less help, and some just followed basic healthy eating advice.
Surprising Findings
Intensive counseling did not improve cholesterol outcomes compared to minimal support.
Most assume that more frequent professional guidance leads to better health outcomes, especially for complex dietary changes. This study shows that isn’t always true.
Practical Takeaways
Incorporate plant sterols, soy, nuts, and viscous fibers (like oats and psyllium) into your daily meals to help lower bad cholesterol.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study tested if eating certain healthy foods could lower bad cholesterol in people with high levels. Some got lots of help to eat the right foods, others got less help, and some just followed basic healthy eating advice.
Surprising Findings
Intensive counseling did not improve cholesterol outcomes compared to minimal support.
Most assume that more frequent professional guidance leads to better health outcomes, especially for complex dietary changes. This study shows that isn’t always true.
Practical Takeaways
Incorporate plant sterols, soy, nuts, and viscous fibers (like oats and psyllium) into your daily meals to help lower bad cholesterol.
Publication
Journal
JAMA
Year
2011
Authors
D. Jenkins, Peter Jones, B. Lamarche, C. Kendall, D. Faulkner, L. Cermakova, I. Gigleux, V. Ramprasath, R. D. de Souza, Christopher Ireland, Darshna Patel, K. Srichaikul, S. Abdulnour, B. Bashyam, Cheryl Collier, Sandy Hoshizaki, R. Josse, Lawrence A Leiter, P. Connelly, J. Frohlich
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Claims (4)
Eating more plant sterols, soy, fiber-rich foods, and nuts can lower your 'bad' cholesterol by about 13% in six months — and sticking to the diet matters more than how much coaching you get.
The more closely people with high cholesterol follow a heart-healthy eating plan, the more their bad cholesterol tends to go down — and we see a clear but moderate link between sticking to the diet and lower LDL levels.
Eating a special mix of foods like nuts, soy, fiber, and plant sterols can lower bad cholesterol by about 13% in 6 months — and works better than just cutting back on saturated fat.
If you have high cholesterol, going to the doctor a lot for diet advice doesn’t lower your bad cholesterol much more than just going a couple of times — both help about the same, cutting levels by around 13%.