Ask The Cholesterol Experts

Do you have questions about healthy living, eating or cholesterol? Write in to Vitality magazine where an expert will respond to your questions.

Ask the experts

Every issue of vitality sees your own questions answered by our experts: Dr Sarah Jarvis and dietician Alison Mead; Alison has worked in clinical dietetics for 12 years, specialising in cardiology. She’s Chief Dietician at Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust.

I’ve heard nuts can be good for cholesterol – which ones are best?

Alison Mead, Dietician, says:
“Research has shown that nuts can maintain low total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, but have yet to prove whether some nuts are better than others. However, most nuts are high in healthy unsaturated fats and a great source of vegetable protein, soluble fibre and plant sterols.

Remember that their high fat content makes nuts high in calories – too many can lead to weight gain. And go for plain nuts rather than ones with salt, sugar or other coatings.”

Do I need to continue my healthy lifestyle once I reach my cholesterol target?

Dr Sarah Jarvis says:

“Oh, yes! But ‘need’ makes it sound as if it’s hard work... If you’ve got it right, the changes you make should be so well-bedded into your routine that you take them for granted.

A diet low in saturated fat, lots of fruit and vegetables, regular aerobic exercise and keeping to a healthy weight: these are exactly the changes that will keep your cholesterol low, long term. Cholesterol is constantly being made by your body, and giving it more raw ingredients (mostly saturated fats) will send your cholesterol soaring within months.

The mistake most people make is to see changes in their eating habits as ‘going on a diet’ instead of as adopting a new lifestyle. Lots of these changes are easy to maintain:

grilling rather than frying
using rapeseed oil for stir-fries and in salad dressings instead of butter or mayonnaise
using a heart-healthy spread instead of butter
keeping a piece of fruit handy rather than a chocolate bar for those ‘I need a snack right now’ moments

Make exercise part of your daily routine by using the stairs, getting off the bus one stop earlier or making a regular date with an exercise buddy. As I always say, the little things add up.”

Ask The Cholesterol Experts

Ask the experts

See the Flora pro.activ range

Ask our nutritionist

Your questions answered