Eat to beat cholesterol

Eating four cholesterol-lowering foods each day can slash cholesterol levels as effectively as taking a first-generation statin drug, according to a new study.

Canadian researchers tested 66 people with high cholesterol, prescribing them a diet which included large quantities of fibre, soy, plant sterols and almonds. The foods included oat bran bread, eggplant and margarine fortified with plant sterols. After 12 weeks, participants’ levels of 'bad' (LDL) cholesterol had dropped by 14%. One year later, it remained 13% below pre-study levels.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2006