High cholesterol: Nutritionist reveals top prevention tips
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
High-density lipoprotein cholesterol is another term for “good” cholesterol, which can be heavily influenced by your diet. The protective fat can be found in five foods. These are: porridge, nuts, fruits and vegetables, fatty fish, and beans. To elaborate, fatty fish includes mackerel and salmon and beans include kidney beans. Dr Rahul Thakur, a local GP and clinical lead at NHS East Lancashire and NHS Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), commented on cholesterol.
Dr Thakur said: “Knowing your cholesterol levels can help explain your risk of heart disease.
“Raised or unhealthy patterns of blood cholesterol affect many people. Many factors play a part.”
Factors include: genetics, diet, lifestyle, weight, gender, age, ethnicity, and medical history.
Dr Thakur warned that unhealthy cholesterol levels combined with other risk factors, such as smoking, can “put you at very high risk of early heart disease”.
He also proposed to make “changes to the food you eat by eating more fresh fruit and vegetables”.
Dr Thakur added that people should eat “more from the good cholesterol food group [while] restricting the bad cholesterol foods”.
Bad cholesterol foods include:
- Full fat milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream
- Animal fats, butter, ghee, margarines and spreads made from animal fats, lard, suet, dripping
- Fatty meat and processed meat products such as sausages.
Dr Thakur also recommends “brisk walking 30 minutes a day” to help reduce bad cholesterol levels.
Other approved activities include: running, cycling, and swimming.
“Generally being more active are some of the things you can do to help lower your cholesterol to normal levels,” emphasised Dr Thakur.
For people with elevated cholesterol, you may be prescribed statins that have been shown to reduce the risk of a heart attack.
“Statins are very effective, safe and well tolerated,” assured Dr Thakur.
The NHS certified that taking statins, however, can lead to side effects.
Examples include: headache, dizziness, feeling sick or unusually tired, and digestive troubles.
Digestive troubles include constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion, or farting.
Other issues may consist of muscle pain, sleep problems, and low blood platelet count.
If you are taking statins and you are experiencing unwanted side effects, you should speak to your doctor.
“Your dose may need to be adjusted or you may need a different type of statin,” said the NHS experts.
There are five main types of statins available on prescription in the UK, which are:
- Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
- Fluvastatin (Lescol)
- Pravastatin (Lipostat)
- Rosuvastatin (Crestor)
- Simvastatin (Zocor).
Before taking statins, your doctor will check that your liver is in a relatively good condition, as the medication can affect the organ.
Source: Read Full Article