When your LDL cholesterol levels start creeping up, the usual course of action often involves prescription medication that needs to be taken long term. While statins and other drugs can be effective, experts say medication is not the only tool available. In many cases, targeted dietary changes – prioritising certain heart-friendly foods and cutting back on others – can play a powerful role in lowering LDL naturally.
Dr Karan Rajan, a UK-based surgeon and popular health content creator, has outlined how to lower LDL cholesterol through simple dietary changes, highlighting four key foods that can help reduce LDL levels and support better heart health. In an Instagram video shared on March 2, the surgeon highlights, “If you have high LDL cholesterol, this is one of the most powerful things you can do. And we need to stop thinking that high cholesterol is just an older person’s problem; I had high LDL and mild fatty liver disease in my late 20s.”
Increased LDL cholesterol
According to Dr Rajan, many people do not realise that the liver naturally produces cholesterol. However, diets high in saturated fats tend to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, which in turn reduces the liver’s ability to effectively clear LDL from the bloodstream.
He highlights, “This is what a lot of people don’t realise: your liver makes cholesterol naturally, but diets high in saturated fats can raise LDL cholesterol, largely by reducing your liver’s ability to clear LDL from the bloodstream.”
How to reduce LDL cholesterol?
Increasing fibre intake
Dr Rajan recommends increasing your intake of fibre, particularly soluble fibre. This type of fibre forms a gel-like substance in the gut that helps lower cholesterol by binding to bile acids. Since bile acids are made from cholesterol, the body is forced to draw more LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream to produce additional bile, thereby helping to reduce overall LDL levels.
He explains, “For me, reversing high cholesterol started with fibre. Specifically, soluble fibre – oats, barley, beans, lentils. Soluble fibre forms a gel in your gut that binds to bile acids, and bile acids are made from cholesterol. Your body then has to pull more LDL out of your blood to make more bile, thus lowering LDL. For example, just three grams of oat beta-glucan daily – which is about a bowl of oatmeal – can lower LDL cholesterol by about five to 10 percent.”
Plant sterols and stanols
Sterols and stanols are naturally occurring, cholesterol-like compounds found in certain plant foods and supplements. They help lower LDL cholesterol by competing with dietary cholesterol for absorption in the gut, thereby reducing the overall amount of cholesterol that enters the bloodstream.
The surgeon suggests, “Think about incorporating plant sterols and stanols. Meta-analyses show that consuming up to three grams per day can reduce LDL cholesterol by six to 12 percent. Sterols and stanols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption in the intestine so less cholesterol enters your bloodstream in the first place.”
Low fat proteins
Dr Rajan recommends replacing high saturated fat animal proteins with lower-fat alternatives such as soy. He notes that soy not only provides a lean source of protein but also contains bioactive compounds that may help support healthy lipid metabolism and improve cholesterol levels.
He explains, “Even if you’re going hard on the protein, try swapping the high saturated fat animal sources for low-saturated fat sources like soy. Soy also contains bioactive compounds that influence lipid metabolism. For example, a large meta-analysis of 46 trials showed that eating 25 grams of soy protein per day lowered LDL cholesterol by three to four percent compared to non-soy protein.”
Unsaturated fats
Even the quality of fat in your diet matters, and the surgeon recommends opting for unsaturated fats in place of saturated fats. Unsaturated fats can help lower bad cholesterol levels by supporting its removal from the bloodstream, thereby promoting better heart health.
Dr Rajan points out, “The fat quality matters. Wherever you can, try to swap saturated fats for unsaturated fats – olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado. When you do that, LDL falls because your liver increases LDL receptor activity and clears more cholesterol from your blood. Now, you don’t need to eliminate everything and have an extremely restrictive diet, but just make small consistent changes to your input.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
