September 06, 2021

Improving heart health with food

Carolyn Clementson B Pharm (read time: 1.5 mins)

In Australia, heart disease is responsible for the loss of 17,000 lives each year. People often think about high blood pressure as a risk factor for heart disease, but there are other risk factors to also be aware of. Do you know your cholesterol levels?

Just like high blood pressure, high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) can lead to heart disease. This bad cholesterol can stick to the walls of your arteries, causing a build-up. The build-up can create blockages in your arteries and increase your risk of suffering from a heart attack or stroke.

There are changes that you can make to help control your cholesterol levels. Reduce the bad cholesterol in your blood, by avoiding foods that are high in saturated and trans fats. This includes pizzas, cakes, biscuits, pastries and deep-fried foods. Sorry!

In good news though, there are also foods that help to lower your LDL levels. Heart-healthy foods include:

  • Oats;
  • Barley and other wholegrains;
  • Beans;
  • Eggplant;
  • Nuts;
  • Vegetable oils;
  • Apples, grapes, strawberries and citrus fruit;
  • Sterols and stanols;
  • Soy;
  • Fibre supplements; and
  • Oily fish

When eating your way to lower cholesterol, a balanced approach is advised. Adding several foods to lower cholesterol in different ways should work better than focusing on just one or two. Of course, shifting to a cholesterol-lowering diet may mean expanding the variety of foods you usually put in your trolley and getting used to cooking with new textures and flavours.

In some cases, making healthy changes to your diet may be sufficient for controlling your cholesterol. In some cases, it may be helpful but your doctor may still prescribe medicines to help lower your cholesterol. It is important to take these medicines regularly and as prescribed to reduce your risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event.  

Medication aside, a diet that is heavy on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts is good for the body in ways beyond lowering cholesterol. It keeps blood pressure in check and arteries flexible. It's good for bones and digestive health, for vision and mental health.