Taking simple steps can help to lower cholesterol
Eight out of ten adults in the UK are unaware of the prevalence of high cholesterol, with just 8 per cent recognising that it affects two in three adults, a new survey has revealed.
While the likelihood of having high cholesterol increases with age, the survey of 2,000 adults in the UK showed over a third of those between the ages of 45-54 years have never had their cholesterol tested.
Just a quarter of adults are aware that 4.1mmol/L to 5mmol/L total cholesterol is healthy for an adult according the Benecol Cholesterol Awareness Survey, though this rises to 33 per cent amongst adults over 55 years.
Almost one third of people surveyed did not realise that cholesterol-lowering foods can further benefit their cholesterol levels, even if they are already taking medication such as statins.
Helen Bond, Consultant Dietitian says: “High cholesterol is very common in the UK, so driving awareness of the risks and how to lower cholesterol is important. It’s wise to get checked as high cholesterol increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) which is the biggest killer in the UK.
“Simple steps can be taken to help lower cholesterol, such as reducing saturated fat intake and consuming foods enriched with plant stanols or sterols that are proven to lower cholesterol as part of a healthy diet. Interestingly the study revealed that 79 per cent of adults would eat more healthily if they had been diagnosed with high cholesterol while 53 per cent would exercise more.”
Although there is a real need to make the UK public more cholesterol aware, the study showed that most people understand the risk factors associated with high cholesterol.
A quarter of those polled thought wrongly that high cholesterol affects just 25 per cetnt of people. A further quarter of those polled estimated incorrectly that high cholesterol affects a third of the population.
Eighty-one per cent of respondents said they would seek advice from their GP about lowering cholesterol in the first instance.
Tips to lower cholesterol is the countdown to Christmas from Helen Bond
Simple Steps to Lower Cholesterol
Two out of three adults in the UK have high cholesterol. Here are Helen Bond’s top simple steps for preventing and tackling high cholesterol:
1. Eat foods that contain plant stanols – At the top of the list for helping to lower your cholesterol are plant stanols and sterols. The plant stanols in Benecol foods have been proven to lower LDL cholesterol levels by 7-10 per cent within two-to-three weeks when 1.5 -2.4g of plant stanols are eaten daily as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. When eaten every day, Benecol foods lower cholesterol significantly more than healthy eating alone.
2. Start reducing your saturated fat intake – Get into the habit of checking the nutrition information on food labels. Eating too much saturated fat raises cholesterol levels. Try not to eat more than 20g per day if you are a woman and 30g per day if you are a man.
3. Eat more porridge oats – Not only do breakfast eaters tend to have lower cholesterol levels than breakfast skippers, many studies show that oats, oatmeal and other oat based products like porridge, can help to reduce the amounts of ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol in the body.
4. Keep fit and maintain a healthy weight – Half an hour’s physical activity on 5 or more days of the week, can improve your ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol and contribute enormously to your heart health, physical and mental well being. Keeping to a healthy weight won’t only keep you feeling fit, it will benefit your cholesterol level.
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