Successful Trial of Low Cholesterol Diet

A six month trial of a low cholesterol diet that includes foods known to reduce cholesterol levels has proven successful. The trial, which took place in Canada and was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved 345 people.

The participants were split into groups and given different dietary advice to help them to lower their cholesterol. The control group was given the standard advice to follow a low fat diet and to eat plenty of wholegrain cereals, fruit, and vegetables. The rest of the participants were given dietary counselling and were encouraged to eat foods that are known to lower cholesterol such as oats, lentils, beans, peas, nuts, and high protein foods.

Although both diets did result in an overall decrease in cholesterol, showing that the standard advice does work, the diets that included specific foods such as oats and nuts did have significantly more impact. However, the researchers point out that these foods need to be included in the diet regularly, and the diet needs to be maintained in the long term to sustain the results.

You can read the NHS report on this study at Behind the Headlines  

Related Posts and Articles

Low Cholesterol Diet: Don’t Forget the Good Cholesterol!

Many of us try to follow a low cholesterol diet because we are aware of the dangers of bad cholesterol, which can lead to fat build up in our arteries, causing atherosclerosis and heart disease. However, when we follow a low cholesterol diet we need to be very careful not to exclude good cholesterol which [...]

Chocolate and Cholesterol: A Healthy Partnership?

Eating small amounts of healthy chocolate regularly could help to lower cholesterol in some people, especially those with a higher risk of heart disease, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The relationship between healthy chocolate and cholesterol reduction is due to antioxidants known as flavanols which are found naturally [...]

How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally Part 2

In part 1 we looked at ways to lower cholesterol naturally using low cholesterol foods, and in this post we will look at a simple three step process to lower your cholesterol by making lifestyle changes. How to Lower Cholesterol by Exercising Doing half an hour of physical activity five days a week can have [...]

How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally Part 1

As the side effects of cholesterol drugs such as statins become better known, more and more people are trying to find out how to lower cholesterol naturally. At least one in five statin users will experience side effects. Common side effects are muscle pain and damage, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, joint pain and nerve damage. Less [...]

What is a CRP Blood Test?

CRP, or C-reactive protein is a normal protein found in the blood. Levels of CRP increase when there is swelling or inflammation somewhere in the body, so a CRP blood test can be used to check for inflammation. How Does A CRP Blood Test Relate to High Cholesterol? A CRP blood test can be used [...]

How to Lower Cholesterol: Omega 3

When we’re trying to maintain a low cholesterol diet to help to reduce bad cholesterol, omega 3 fatty acids play an important role. Omega 3 fatty acids are found naturally in fish oils and can be included in a low cholesterol diet by eating herrings, sardines, mackerel, salmon, trout and tuna. For people that aren’t [...]

Cholesterol Diseases Explained – Part 2

If you’ve read part 1 you’ll know that atherosclerosis is one of the most common cholesterol diseases, but it can lead to a variety of other more serious conditions. These include: Cholesterol Diseases: Peripheral Arterial Disease Peripheral arterial disease occurs when the arteries in your limbs, usually your legs, become blocked. Peripheral arterial disease symptoms [...]

Cholesterol Diseases Explained – Part 1

We all know that high cholesterol levels are bad for our health, but many people are confused about cholesterol diseases, exactly what they are and what causes them? This post will look at atherosclerosis, the most common of the cholesterol diseases, and part 2 will look at the cholesterol diseases that can result from atherosclerosis. [...]

Cholesterol Signs: The Symptoms of High Cholesterol

Unfortunately there aren’t many high cholesterol signs and for most people the first time they realise they have high cholesterol is when they suffer a heart attack or stroke. However there are some cholesterol signs that can be seen earlier if you are worried about high cholesterol. One of the common complications of high cholesterol [...]