High cholesterol: Nutritionist reveals top prevention tipsHigh cholesterol is a serious issue in the UK, with around half of adults thought to be living with it. Although not immediately dangerous, if not treated it can lead to a build-up of fat in the arteries ultimately causing blockages.
It is also a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and other medical emergencies.
An excess of cholesterol is often caused by certain lifestyle habits such as eating too much fatty food and not exercising enough.
While there are medications that can be taken to help like statins, people with high cholesterol will be told to watch what they eat.
And there is one tasty snack that health bodies say could be beneficial for those looking to lower cholesterol.
Adding a handful of nuts and seeds to your diet every day could help lower your cholesterol (Image: Getty)
According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), eating a handful of nuts and seeds could do just this.
They are rich in unsaturated fats and fibre, both of which can help lower cholesterol.
“Nuts are a good source of unsaturated fats as well as fibre and other nutrients,” the BHF says.
“They are filling to eat and make a tasty and convenient swap for snacks like chocolate, cakes and biscuits, which are usually high in saturated fat.
If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels you should speak to your GP (Image: Express.co.uk)
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“Used in this way they can help lower your cholesterol levels. Just make sure you choose plain ones to avoid adding extra salt or sugar to your diet.
“A portion is a small handful – about 30 grams. Choose whichever nuts you like or, even better, a mixture of nuts and seeds to benefit from a wider range of nutrients.”
This advice is backed by charity Heart UK, which recommends eating 28 to 30 grams of nuts per day.
It says: “Nuts are a good source of unsaturated fats and are lower in saturated fats, a mix which can help to keep your cholesterol in check. They contain fibre which can help block some cholesterol being absorbed into the bloodstream from the gut, as well as protein, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, natural plant sterols and other plant nutrients which help keep your body healthy.
“They’re also filling, so you’re less likely to snack on other things. All nuts count. Choose a variety and eat them instead of your normal snack or as part of a meal.
“Where possible, go for the kind with their skins still intact as they contain more nutrients.”
More specifically it recommends eating almonds, macadamias, brazil nuts, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, peanuts and pecans.
If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels you should speak to your doctor.
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