What is the best diet for reducing cholesterol?
Changing the diet can have a powerful impact on blood cholesterol levels. The aim with diet is to reduce the intake of harmful fats, and to maintain a balanced diet with the right amounts of protein, carbohydrate, and fresh fruits and vegetables. The best diet varies in detail from person to person, and if a few obvious measures with diet do not reduce a high cholesterol, it is often advisable to speak to a renal dietitian. Foods that are high in cholesterol include dairy products, eggs, and the fatty parts of red meat. Many processed foods can contain a lot of cholesterol and the data on the labels should be checked. The type of fats that increase blood cholesterol levels are often called ‘saturated fats’, while ‘unsaturated fats’ (which include olive oil) may be less harmful. It is not just foods containing meat that may be high in fat, biscuits for example may be high.
