A trio of delicious snacks could be the key to lowering your cholesterol levels, research has suggested. High cholesterol is a significant concern in the UK, with an estimated two out of five adults believed to be affected.
Also referred to as hypercholesterolemia, it happens when there’s an excess of a fatty substance known as cholesterol in your bloodstream. Initially, this might not cause any problems, but over time it can accumulate, leading to blockages and causing arteries to harden and narrow.
This makes it a major risk factor for medical emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes. While several factors can elevate your cholesterol, diet is one of the main offenders – with foods rich in saturated fats, like butter, cheese, fatty meat, and chocolate, being among the worst culprits.
Fortunately, there are also foods that have the opposite effect, with health bodies advising you to incorporate more into your diet. These include nuts, seeds, and fruit.
Nuts
Nuts, in particular, could be a great snack option to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Experts at the Mayo Clinic in the US suggest that consuming a handful a day could be beneficial, despite the high calorie content of nuts.
“Almonds and other tree nuts can improve blood cholesterol,” they stated. “Studies have shown that walnuts, which contain omega-3 fats, may help protect the heart and lower the risk of heart attack for people who already have heart disease. All nuts are high in calories, so a handful added to a salad or eaten as a snack will do.”
A study highlighted in Nutrients journal in 2023, encompassing a meta-analysis of 19 reviews and clinical trials, has pinpointed nuts as potentially cholesterol-busting powerhouses. The research pointedly suggests that munching on varieties like walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios could be valuable in reducing overall and “bad” LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, as well as triglycerides.
In their conclusion, the study authors noted: “A consistent beneficial effect of most nuts, namely total nuts and tree nuts, including walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios, has been reported across meta-analyses in decreasing total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglycerides.”
However, they found no significant impact on HDL (high-density lipoprotein) – often dubbed “good” cholesterol.
Seeds
Seeds, which are typically listed alongside nuts as a nutritional ally for heart health due to their high content of soluble fibre and unsaturated fats, have also been encouraged as part of a heart-conscious diet. Emily Schmidt, a registered dietitian, espoused the virtues of seeds in an article for Everyday Health, noting, “Seeds do double duty, because not only do they have the fibre, but they also have unsaturated fats.”
Some top picks for healthy seeds include chia, flax, pumpkin, and sunflower variants. A research paper from the Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research scrutinised the specific influence of sunflower seeds on cholesterol levels.
This experiment involved 60 patients divided into two cohorts: one consumed a daily dose of two grams of sunflower seeds over a half-year span, while the second group abstained. Patients who consumed sunflower seeds showed a “significant and rapid difference” in cholesterol levels compared to those who didn’t, according to researchers.
The team explained: “The study conducted concluded that sunflower seeds can be used as an adjuvant in treating the raised cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein [‘bad’ cholesterol] levels in the blood serum which could otherwise lead various cardiac disorders (both major and minor).”
Fruit
Finally, Heart UK emphasises the importance of our daily fruit and veg intake, not just for general health but also for its impact on cholesterol. It states: “Fruit and vegetables are also high in fibre, and some types of fibre can help to lower your cholesterol. It blocks some cholesterol from being absorbed from the intestines into the bloodstream. “.
It recommends pulses like beans, peas, and lentils, which are rich in this type of fibre. For those looking to add more variety, sweet potatoes, aubergines, okra (ladies’ fingers), broccoli, apples, strawberries, and prunes are also excellent choices.
Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, involving over 4,400 participants, found that higher consumption of fruits and vegetables was linked to lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
For anyone concerned about their cholesterol levels, it’s advisable to consult with a GP.