Small changes to diet could lower cholesterol
Despite heart disease ranking high on the list of health concerns for over 45 year-olds, nearly half have no idea of what their cholesterol levels are, a risk factor for developing a heart condition.
This research, conducted as part of the BENECOL® Plus One Campaign, aims to raise awareness about cholesterol and lowering cholesterol for people over 45 years old and their ‘plus one’s’.
The link between high cholesterol and heart disease is well established, yet almost 1 in 3 people over 45 years-old have never had a cholesterol test. As a result, 45% of over 45’s don’t know their cholesterol level, and for those that do, 1 in 10 aren’t doing anything about it.
Interestingly, when asked about health concerns for their loved ones, over a third of women said they are worried about their partners’ cholesterol than their own, despite raised cholesterol affecting both men and women equally.
Helen Bond, a consultant dietitian said: “High cholesterol is a problem in the UK, six out of 10 people have raised cholesterol and cholesterol levels tend to go up as we get older.”
“Diet and lifestyle steps are one of the best ways to approach lowering your cholesterol level and there are lots of small changes you can do that will make a big difference, simple things like cutting down on saturated fat”.
Cholesterol can also be lowered through the addition of cholesterol lowering foods in the diet. When consumed as part of a healthy diet, the plant stanols in functional foods can lower cholesterol by 7 to 10% within three weeks.
Tagged in Health Cholesterol