High cholesterol is when you have too much of a fatty substance called cholesterol in your blood.
It's mainly caused by eating fatty food, not exercising enough, being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol. It can also run in families.
Fortunately, you can lower your cholesterol by eating healthily and getting more exercise. In fact, one study has found that eating an avocado a day for six months could decrease dangerous cholesterol levels.
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Publishing a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, Professor Penny Kris-Etherton said: "While the avocados did not affect belly fat or weight gain, the study still provides evidence that avocados can be a beneficial addition to a well-balanced diet.
"Incorporating an avocado per day in this study did not cause weight gain and also caused a slight decrease in LDL cholesterol, which are all important findings for better health."
According to the Daily Record, the trial, performed earlier this year, was reportedly the largest study about the health benefits of avocados.
For six months, 923 participants were either instructed to eat avocados every day or not at all. Their cholesterol levels were measured through the testing period. Those who consumed the avocados had less LDL cholesterol.
However, the claims made by the study are rebuked by other experts. NutritionFacts.org reports that the studies may see a reduction in “bad” cholesterol due to the cutting down of animal fats.
The website also argues that avocados don’t contain enough LDL cholesterol to have enough impact. Whether or not this is true, it is known that avocados are packed with nutrients including folate, magnesium and phosphorus.
These vitamins and minerals are vital for many functions in the body, and are overall linked to well-being. The best way to consume avocados is to do so as part of wider lifestyle choices – such as eating a healthy balanced diet.
To lower cholesterol, the NHS advises people to try to eat less meat pies, sausages and fatty meat. It also recommends against excessive butter, lard and ghee, as well as cream and hard cheese.
You can still have foods that contain a healthier type of fat called unsaturated fat.
Other foods that you might want to cut out include:
- Cakes
- Biscuits
- Food containing coconut oil
- Palm oil
The NHS recommends to eat more:
- oily fish, like mackerel and salmon
- brown rice, bread and pasta
- nuts and seeds
- fruits and vegetables
Exercising more will also help. You should aim to do at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, explains the NHS.
The health body also recommends quitting smoking and cutting down on alcohol to no more than 14 units a week.
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