Cholesterol-lowering diets

A varied diet low in saturated fats and containing plenty of fruits and vegetables is the cornerstone of a heart-healthy diet.

In addition to this, a number of foods have also been shown to lower cholesterol. For example, the soluble fibres found in foods like oats, foods enriched with plant sterols and stanols, and nuts and soya foods have been shown to have an additive effect in lowering cholesterol.

In fact, a series of studies by Prof. David Jenkins et al has lead to the popular ‘Portfolio diet,' a popular approach to lowering cholesterol. The Portfolio diet uses a combination of cholesterol-lowering foods — plant sterols and stanols, nuts and soya foods, and soluble (or viscous) fibres such as those found in oats — to achieve results that compare well to first-generation statins (5). 

A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials confirmed that the Portfolio diet leads to clinically meaningful improvements in LDL cholesterol as well as other established cardiometabolic risk factors and estimated 10-year CHD risk (6).

You may also like to read:

• Issue 2 of the ‘The Oatly Way,’ which has a special feature on cholesterol lowering diets (here)
• The article ‘Oats and Oat Products in Cholesterol Lowering Diets’ by Linda Main, BSc RD (here)