Cholesterol
 

Does anyone have any ideas on ways to lower cholesterol levels bar the obvious like low fat intake, drugs and excercise?

No !

How high is it ?

Choose better parents in the first place. This is the best means of all.

Diet and exercise will only help to a very limited extent. The greatest determinant by far of your cholesterol level is your genetic make-up, not your intake or activity level. If you really have a very high cholesterol level, drugs are your only realistic option.

There is some speculation that part of the protective effect of lowering cholesterol when it comes to heart attacks and what have you is not actually conferred by the lower cholesterol itself, but rather by the drugs which lower it. But that's by the by.

QDM

BMM,
Have you tried any of the cholesterol reducing spreads ? I know of two freely available in the UK and I use them just as part of my normal diet.

They have shown with regular consumption, a reduction of 10-15% in cholesterol. One assumes that this is the 'bad' cholesterol. Basically they contain plant sterols (?) which prevent the body processing and absorbing cholesterol so it passes through as it were.

Cheers

LL

QDMQDMQDM - got to agree with you on the parents thing. My hubby eats loads of fatty unhealthy food yet has a chol count of 3.1 I eat fairly healthily and have a chol count of 5.1 - not fair is it!!

The parents are all clear. No cholesterol problems. my sister however also has high cholesterol. Eat relatively healthy with the odd bad meal. Looking for ideas on how to bring it down?!

2 glasses of Red Wine a day, onions, garlic and a couple of "boiled eggs" a week.
Works for me and the whole of France alledgedly. :)

Do your cholestorol check on an empty stomach it shows up a truer reading (lower)

BMM try and get it all in perspective.

Cholesterol is one risk factor for heart problems and other nasty circulatory diseases, but its effect is moderate compaired to other factors. Smoking of course is the major factor, blood pressure and family history are also a factors.

There are other links with diet and exercise, (although I have to say, the evidence is less robust.)

Look at why you want to lower your cholesterol levels. If you want to keep your doctor happy, a fasting test would usually give a lower reading.

If you want to work out your risk of developing heart disease over a certain period, then ask your GP to perform this calculation. (He will need to know your BP, Weight/height/family history, smoking status and cholesterol.)

If you want to just stay healthy, don't worry too much about the hype, cut down your total fat intake, avoid fats which are solid at room temperature (LARD!), eat lots of oily fish, (sardines are good), lots of fruit and veg, DON'T SMOKE, exercise for 20 minutes 3 times a week, get your blood pressure checked, and avoid PPRuNe medical forum, it causes too much stress !