By Donna V. Scaglione
It might be time to give up the statins and pick up the soy burger.
A study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association illustrated what many nutrition experts have been saying right along: You can cut so-called “bad” LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol by eating certain foods. The evidence was so clear, researchers said, that many people who take statin drugs to lower cholesterol levels could achieve the results they need by making dietary changes.
The study compared a group eating a mainly plant-based, high-fiber diet featuring foods known to cut cholesterol with another group eating more of a low-fat diet. After six months the plant-based diet group experienced a 14 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol levels while the low-fat diet group had a 3 percent drop.
That’s "really a lot," said Dr. Yunsheng Ma, a nutrition and heart disease researcher from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, who was not involved in the new study.
"A lot of people rely on the medication, but diet is really powerful actually," he told Reuters Health. "People ignore that. They think if they're on statins, they can do anything they want — they can eat the high-fat foods because the statins are going to take care of that.”
If you’d rather change your diet than pop a pill, experts recommend consulting your physician for guidance. In the meantime, consider the following listing of foods study participants consumed, as well as other foods shown to lower LDL cholesterol.
Soy protein
Rethink your meat consumption by choosing soy-based meat products like soy cold cuts, soy hot dogs, and soy burgers. Other good sources of soy protein are soy milk — use it on cereal instead of regular milk — soybeans (also known as edamame), and tofu. Use firm tofu in a vegetable stir fry instead of meat or poultry. Study participants consumed four servings a day, such as one cup of soy milk (one serving) or 4 ounces of firm tofu (another serving).
Oatmeal
Oatmeal contains “sticky” or viscous fiber (a type of soluble fiber), which reduces the absorption of LDL cholesterol into our bloodstream. The evidence for this is so strong that the Food and Drug Administration has given oatmeal “health claim” status for cholesterol management. Vegetables such as eggplant and okra also contain viscous fiber, as do psyllium-enriched cereals. Study participants ate four to five 4-ounce servings of fiber foods a day.
For more LDL-lowering power, toss some sliced apples into your cereal. A preliminary study presented at a recent medical conference showed evidence that eating an apple or two a day helps lower LDL cholesterol and levels of disease markers for artery health. Experts believe that the apple’s pectin, a soluble fiber that inhibits cholesterol absorption, may account for the fruit’s heart-healthy benefits.
Pomegranate juice
Pomegranate juice contains a higher level of antioxidants than most fruit juices, and those compounds are believed to be heart healthy, playing a role in the reduction of LDL cholesterol, according to MayoClinic.com. While it’s not certain that drinking pomegranate juice actually lowers cholesterol, it could inhibit its buildup in arteries.
Before drinking pomegranate juice regularly, check with your physician. It may interfere with certain medications, including those that lower cholesterol and high blood pressure.
