Reducing bad cholesterol by diet

Back in the late 1960’s my mum was diagnosed with high cholesterol and was put on a very low fat diet and as a family we all went on it! No hard cheese, no butter, cream, red meat, chickens had to be skinned, only 2 eggs a week!
My mum lost a lot of weight and was very miserable not to be able to eat the things she liked, but she stuck to the diet rigidly. It made no difference whatever to her cholesterol levels and I now read that cheeses like cheddar can actually help prevent dementia, which mum developed in later life! She’d have been delighted to take statins but they didn’t exist then!
I have high cholesterol and the diet didn’t work for me either, but I take a low dose statin and fortunately my cholesterol levels are normal.

I read that the best way to lower cholesterol is to go for a ten minute walk straight after a meal. Don’t fancy that in this weather though. Seem to remember a friend of mine who had a family history of high cholesterol always used to go for a walk round the village after his evening meal. Maybe I could walk round the house after my meal?

Kate1949

The Mail on Sunday are doing a feature on lowering cholesterol this weekend.

Thanks. I’ll check it out. It does seem to be in the news a lot these days ( there was an article in The Times recently). I thought it was just down to me googling it. Or is it because so many people are being advised by their doctors to take statins?

The Mail on Sunday are doing a feature on lowering cholesterol this weekend.

CariadAgain
I think statins out of patent (such as atorvastatin, simvastatin, and rosuvastatin) are sold to the NHS at the equivalent of about 25p for a month's course.

My GP said these are "cheap as chips" - presumably this is one reason why these three are tried first and then others if these don't agree with you.

At just a few pounds a year it seems to me they are a lot cheaper than a hospital admission, and less stressful if you are potentially at risk.

Jaxjacky

MayBee I'm on Apixaban, I eat garlic, leafy greens and there’s turmeric in my curry sauces, my haematology team gave no specific dietary advice when I asked them. But I wouldn’t take supplements, just day today cooking.

Thanks. Given that he wasn’t aware of things that he should avoid I have just carried on cooking as before, albeit adding more garlic than usual for myself. The main difference is that I take VitD3 with K and he misses out the K. I think it does just apply to supplements.

MayBee I'm on Apixaban, I eat garlic, leafy greens and there’s turmeric in my curry sauces, my haematology team gave no specific dietary advice when I asked them. But I wouldn’t take supplements, just day today cooking.

Grandmama

Cholesterol crops up time and time again on Gransnet and reading these posts indicates how advice varies from doctor to doctor. Very recently there was a thread here on 'How long will you live?'. This had a link to some research (Sweden I think) about the very elderly and centenarians, many of whom had high cholesterol so it seems it's not necessarily a precursor of early death.

If you go back to the thread I think you will see that was incorrect and had been corrected in a addendum - but not before it was reported in the press, unfortunately!

I couldn't give up potatoes. Known as food of the Gods in my house. Roast, mashed, baked etc etc love them all.

Hardly eat them. Trouble is I’m trying to meal plan for me and my partner who is on Apixaban so a lot of the things I’m eating he can’t have eg garlic, green leafy vegetables, turmeric, Vit K. Even though he eats crisps every day his cholesterol is perfect.

Maybe Perhaps going easy on the spuds would help reduce your cholesterol because nowadays the advice is to reduce the carbs.

Oh and I have a spoonful of soaked chia seeds with apple every now and again.

Plant sterols. I’m now making cakes with their spread ( I’m not going to give up my cake) but add flax seed, use organic wholewheat flour, walnuts, dates and sultanas. Just had a chilli but used more lentils than low fat beef, added lots of garlic and turmeric. Brown rice ( have found one that cooks in fifteen minutes) but used one of those 2 minutes in a microwave one. Pasta and baked potatoes are healthier if left in the fridge overnight ( I think) so I’m cooking several baked potatoes to reheat. Mind you I’m using the microwave which isn’t the best thing to do. Have had a small amount of red wine and a couple of chunks of dark chocolate. When I was 18 I did a brown rice diet ( I still chat about it with the friend that also went on it; we’re both still on theneverendingdiet 50+ years later although I must admit to being more successful than she is!)and still can’t stand the smell of it but if I smother it with food it’s palatable. I know I’m wasting my time if it’s familial but it can’t do any harm to eat healthier.

ReadyMeals

I got mine into normal range just from using Benecol instead of butter. So it's possible

So did my Mum. What’s in it? Does anyone know?

My cholesterol has always been high up to 7.9. But that is total figure which can be broken down into HDL and LDL. It is the ratio between those two figures that is significant. I was told to go on a statin but argued my case and GP admitted I had one of the healthiest levels in his practice.

I don’t understand all my readings. I’ve lost quite a bit of weight with my new eating regime and, for some reason it hasn’t played havoc with my digestion. I’m so annoyed with myself for not looking at my diet when I stopped going to the gym. As someone that spends more at Holland and Barrett than the supermarket. I don’t know why I didn’t read up on cholesterol levels and diet. I did think my diet was quite healthy but on looking at it closely it actually wasn’t.

I've just seen this today. So.. I had my cholesterol blood test done on Wednesday..
They said a pharmacy lady from the GP surgery will ring you to discuss your cholesterol. So..
Here goes
Serum cholesterol 4.9
Serum cholesterol HDL 1.6
Serum triglycerides 1.9
Serum LDLcholesterol 2.4
None HDL 3.3
Last year in order below 2024..
4.9
1.7
1.1
2.7
3.2
In guessing its the triglycerides that's out of range.
So today for me it's a wake up call to do something about it.
Husband is on statins and his cholesterol isn't too bad.but his triglycerides are 2.2..or said he's got 18%ratio of having heart disease.in the next 10 yrs
Went to shop today. He said well.. I'll be 80 so I don't care.. I said that's not the answer I thought you'd say right in eating well. He thinks taking statins is the answer OK. But for me it's not..

This new eating regime is costing me a fortune. One of the things I could always be frugal about is food shopping because I’m not much a a foodie and I don’t eat much ( except when eg binging on crisps). I managed to get some Boots sterols 3 for 2 and using my partners discount but if I had to pay the full price I couldn’t afford to take them for the rest of my life Hadn’t realised you could get reduced fat cheese from Aldi and Lidl ( I can’t find my favourite cheese, Edam, anywhere). And Aldi cholesterol drinks are much cheaper than Benecol. At least those bags of lentils that you cook in the microwave for two minutes make a cheap meal. I know I’ll probably end up on statins in a few months time but if the change in diet brings down my bad cholesterol I can show my kids how to tweak their diet to make it less likely that they’ll have to go on them.

Kate1949

I got mine down from 7 to 5.6 with Benecol drinks and spread and plant sterols. I was chuffed but 5.6 wasn't good enough for my GP. I'm on statins now (a low dose) but I'm ok on them so far.

Me too, but I miss the Flora milk that kept it right down (many cups of tea)

Reported.

For the benefit of those few people that don't know there's old-style genetic modification done for centuries - BY FARMERS and it's natural.

But what the vast majority of us know is meant by "genetically modified" is a very different kettle of fish.

The vast majority of soya beans have been subject to MODERN DAY genetic modification (done by scientists in a lab). Modern day genetic modification (GMO's) is scientists (not farmers) directly altering a crops DNA in a lab.

A specific gene can be turned off, edited or inserted. The scientists can use genes from the same species, a related species or ANY species (bacteria, animals or synthetic genes).

eg BT corn contains a bacterial gene for pest resistance or there is herbicide-tolerant soybeans.

Cross species gene transfer is possible.

************

So every day is a learning day.

CariadAgain

SuzyQqq

Porridge made with soya milk is good for cholesterol levels. We tend to have this most mornings with crushed almonds. Something in the porridge targets the bad cholesterol apparently. Also switch to Rapeseed oil rather than sunflower/vegetable and read saturated fat levels on food labels.

Re that soya milk - guess you know everything made of soya beans has to organic? As otherwise those soya beans have been genetically modified.

Me - if I want plant mylk = I have cashew or almond variety personally (and am a bit particular re which brand at that - because of the way different brands taste different).

Practically everything we eat has been genetically modified
The people of the Middle East started this about 10,000 years ago.

www.nationalacademies.org/news/are-all-crops-that-we-eat-genetically-improved

SuzyQqq

Porridge made with soya milk is good for cholesterol levels. We tend to have this most mornings with crushed almonds. Something in the porridge targets the bad cholesterol apparently. Also switch to Rapeseed oil rather than sunflower/vegetable and read saturated fat levels on food labels.

Re that soya milk - guess you know everything made of soya beans has to organic? As otherwise those soya beans have been genetically modified.

Me - if I want plant mylk = I have cashew or almond variety personally (and am a bit particular re which brand at that - because of the way different brands taste different).

Porridge made with soya milk is good for cholesterol levels. We tend to have this most mornings with crushed almonds. Something in the porridge targets the bad cholesterol apparently. Also switch to Rapeseed oil rather than sunflower/vegetable and read saturated fat levels on food labels.

I am on a high dose of statins as have the inherited syndrome. I also have a 6 monthly injection. My GP still wasn’t satisfied with my levels so I added in two daily fish oil tablets and a handful of walnuts. Latest blood tests show an improvement. Salmon, mackerel and brazil nuts are also recommended