High Nutrient Diet Promotes Improved Cholesterol Levels

Eating a diet high in cholesterol-lowering foods can improve the effectiveness of cutting down on saturated fat.

Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, director of Tufts’ HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, comments, conducted a study which emphasized the importance of focusing on dietary patterns of food intake and not just a single nutrient, in this case saturated fat.

We eat food, but its the nutrients which come from our foods that do the job at maintaining our health.  Nutrients to include in your everyday diet, such are high fiber foods, red and orange fruits and vegetables, good fats such as olive oil and rapeseed oil. y

You can also indulge in a little dark chocolate.

A reminder that its take an overall change in your diet and lifestyle to improve borderline or high levels of cholesterol in your bloos.

TO LEARN MORE: JAMA, August 24/31, 2011; abstract at jama.ama-assn.org/content/306/8/831.abstract.

• Foods That Fight Bad Cholesterol
  The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved health claims for these foods for improving cholesterol and combating coronary heart disease:
  • Plant sterol/stanol esters (at least 0.65 grams plant sterol esters per serving of spreads and salad dressings; at least 1.7 grams plant stanol esters per serving of spreads, salad dressings, snack bars and dietary supplements)
  • Almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts, walnuts (1.5 ounces per day)
  • Soy protein (at least 6.25 grams per serving)
  • Soluble fiber or beta-glucan soluble fiber (at least 0.75 grams per serving) from oat bran, rolled oats, whole oat flour, whole grain barley or dry milled barley, Oatrim, psyllium husk (at least 1.7 grams per serving)
  • Fruits, vegetables and grains that contain at least 0.6 grams of soluble fiber per serving

healthletterhelp@tufts.edu