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Reducing cholesterol count
My husband has a high cholesterol count. We already eat a generally healthy diet so there are few changes I can make to our food. Can you offer any additional suggestions on how he can reduce his cholesterol?
It’s often the case that the healthy diet we’re eating is not as healthy as we think. For example, refined carbohydrates such as white rice and pasta, actually elevate triglyceride levels after a meal leading to raised cholesterol levels. That said, a high cholesterol level may not be a problem, according to Dr Adam Carey, co-founder of the Centre for Nutritional Medicine in London (no longer operational), if your husband is one of the estimated 25-33% of the population with higher cholesterol levels who are not at risk of heart attack or stroke.
If you know your cholesterol is high, it makes sense to have a cardiovascular scan which will examine the extent at which plaque had been deposited in the blood vessels in the neck and the groin because although high cholesterol is a marker for cardiovascular problems, it does not mean they are inevitable.
We all have some plaque in these vessels as we age but if the scan show there is no acceleration of the problem, the reducing the cholesterol may not be of any value says Dr Carey. If a problem does show up, then as well as investigating other risk factors such as your husband’s weight, blood pressure and family medical history, the Centre would then recommend changes to both your husband’s diet and lifestyle.
He would need, for example, to be doing regular aerobic exercise for 30 minutes, at least three times a week. He should increase his intake of the essential fatty acids which help fight cholesterol and which are abundant in oily fish. He needs to cut out coffee, which has been linked with high cholesterol levels, and he needs to minimise stress by taking up some form of relaxation. In his diet, he needs to reduce levels of refined carbohydrates and watch out for hidden saturated fats in some meats and many processed foods.
Biocare (mail order 0121-433 3727) makes a supplement called Cholesterase which contains potassium which is essential for a healthy heart and the potent antioxidant vitamin E. 60 tablets cost £12.45. Take one with breakfast and one with your evening meal but only use this supplement to support dietary changes and not instead of a healthy diet.
*The Centre for Nutritional Medicine is on 0171-224 5053. A cardiovascular scan costs £120. A nutritional and risk factor analysis is £68.