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Certain foods have major cholesterol-lowering properties, study shows

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

For individuals who have received unhealthy cholesterol test results, adding more foods to their diet that have proven cholesterol-lowering properties may be more effective than simply reducing saturated fat consumption, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In the study, researchers compared the effectiveness of a low-fat diet to one that included fiber-rich oats, soy, plant sterols and nuts. A total of 351 individuals who had previously received unhealthy cholesterol test results were assigned to follow one of the two diets for a period of six months.

The results showed that participants who enrolled in the cholesterol-lowering foods diet were able to reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 13 percent. On the other hand, those who followed the diet that restricted saturated fat consumption only reduced their cholesterol levels by 3 percent.

The researchers said the findings show that simply restricting fat consumption is not the only consideration when it comes to improving cholesterol test scores. Incorporating more foods with proven cholesterol-lowering properties may lead to greater benefits.