High cholesterol: Nutritionist reveals top prevention tips

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High cholesterol is widely recognised as a generator of disease, putting millions at the perils of heart attack and stroke annually. Fortunately, managing the condition doesn’t always call for strenuous measures. One fruit, renowned for promoting a positive mood, has recently come into the limelight for its potent lipid-lowering effects.

Cholesterol is carried in the blood by two different types of protein, known scientifically as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

Too much LDL in the bloodstream is dangerous because it helps create cholesterol-filled plaque on the inner walls of the arteries.

This plaque is the root cause of cardiovascular disease, leading to angina, heart attacks and stroke.

Statins have quickly become the backbone of high cholesterol treatment, yet 40 percent of people eligible for the treatment shun the drug because of its undesirable side effects.

Some natural remedies, that are void of side effects, have risen to the task of lowering harmful cholesterol in humans.

READ MORE: High cholesterol: The 57p herb that causes levels to plummet by almost 20% – ‘effective’

One meta-analysis published in the Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition set out to establish the lipid-lowering effects of bergamot on humans.

The review retrieved a total 442 studies, of which 12 articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria.

The authors explained: “Databases were searched for interventional and observational studies investigating the effect of bergamot on lipid profile in humans.

“Based on data, 75 percent of studies showed a significant decrease in total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDLc.”

“The decrease in total cholesterol variant from 12.3 percent to 31.3 percent, from 7.6 percent to 40.8 percent in LDLc and from 11.5 percent to 39.5 percent in triglycerides.”

The promising findings revealed a therapeutic potential in the management of high cholesterol with bergamot supplementation.

What’s more, the findings are consistent with further research on rodents, published in the peer reviews journal Integrative food, nutrition and metabolism.

In this study, researchers sought to establish which aspects of the bergamot fruit delivered cholesterol-lowering effects.

The authors explained: “There are a variety of phytochemicals that have been found in the bergamot including brutieridin and metlitidin as well as other flavonoids […].

“Multiple clinical trials have provided evidence that different forms of orally administered bergamot can reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.”

Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants associated with a host of positive health outcomes.

Their attributes have been studied in great depth, notably in relation to cardiovascular health.

“Though most citrus fruits are known to contain flavonoids, the bergamot is unique in that it contains an especially high content of flavonoids,” the authors added.

This makes it a strong candidate as a preventive antidote against stroke and heart attack.

The researchers cite research that revealed significant improvements in lipid profiles after administering bergamot juice to rats.

They explained: “Bergamot juice was found to reduce cholesterol (29.27 percent), triglycerides (46.12 percent), and LDL (51.72percent) and an increase in HDL (27.61 percent).”

Then findings, re-establish the potential of bergamot as a cholesterol-lowering treatment.

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