High cholesterol does not usually operate in isolation – the waxy substance is often accompanied by high blood pressure. Both high cholesterol and high blood pressure perform a similar function. They narrow and harden the arteries that supply blood to your heart. When this happens, the heart has to strain much harder to pump blood through them, thereby raising your risk of heart disease.
Fortunately both high cholesterol and high blood pressure can be easily reversed by committing to a healthy diet.
Certain items have been promoted for their ability to help ward off these heart disease markers.
Prunes are a nutritious fruit that have been studied for their potential to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
In one study, subjects who drank prune juice and ate three or six prunes each morning for eight weeks were compared to a group that drank only a glass of water on an empty stomach.
Those who consumed the prunes and prune juice had significantly lower blood pressure levels, total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol than the group that drank water.
LDL cholesterol is generally regarded as the most harmful form of cholesterol because it sticks to the inside your artery walls, restricting the blood flow.
HDL cholesterol, also known as the “good” cholesterol, counters this harmful mechanism by picking up LDL cholesterol and transporting it to the liver where it flushed out.
Another study found that men who had been diagnosed with high cholesterol had lower LDL cholesterol levels after consuming 12 prunes daily for eight weeks.
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Several animal studies have produced similar results.
Generally, mice fed dried plum powder and plum juice appear to have lower cholesterol levels and increased “good” HDL cholesterol.
The positive effects plums and prunes appear to have on heart disease risk factors are likely due to their high content of fibre, potassium and antioxidants.
According to Harvard Health, antioxidants stabilise harmful by-products of the body’s energy-making machinery.
“These by-products, known as free radicals, can damage DNA, make LDL (bad) cholesterol even worse, and wreak havoc elsewhere in the body,” the health body explains.
General dietary tips to lower high cholesterol
In addition to increasing your intake of heart-healthy items, it is also important to reduce your intake of certain foods.
“To reduce your cholesterol, try to cut down on fatty food, especially food that contains a type of fat called saturated fat,” advises the NHS.
Saturated fats will increase the levels of bad cholesterol in your blood, it warns.
Foods high in saturated fat include:
- Meat pies, sausages and fatty meat
- Butter, lard and ghee
- Cream and hard cheese, like cheddar
- Cakes and biscuits
- Food that contains coconut oil or palm oil
You can still have foods that contain a healthier type of fat called unsaturated fat.
This type of fat can be found in plentiful supply in the Mediterranean diet, which consists of oily fish, complex Carbohydrates such as brown rice, and nuts and seeds.
You should also aim to do at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of exercise a week, advises the NHS.
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