Slash cholesterol levels and lower heart attack risk with these three snacks

Why cholesterol is bad for you

Three tasty snacks could help lower your cholesterol levels, according to study. High cholesterol is a major issue in the UK with around two in five adults thought to be affected.

Also known as hypercholesterolemia, it occurs when you have too much of a fatty substance known as cholesterol in the blood. While this may not initially cause any issues, over time it can build up leading to blockages and causing arteries to harden and narrow.

This makes it a major risk factor for medical emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes.

While there are several things that can raise your cholesterol, diet is one of the main culprits - with foods rich in saturated fats, such as butter, cheese, fatty meat, and chocolate, among the worst.

Luckily there are also foods that have the opposite effect, with health bodies recommending you get more into your diet. These include nuts, seeds, and fruit. 

Nuts are one tasty snack that could help bring down cholesterol levels (Image: Getty)

Nuts

Regularly snacking on nuts could be one way to help keep your cholesterol levels healthy. Experts at the Mayo Clinic in the US, suggest that consuming a handful a day could be the way to go, to mitigate the high calorie content of nuts.

“Almonds and other tree nuts can improve blood cholesterol,” they said. “Studies have shown that walnuts, which have omega-3 fats, may help protect the heart and lower the risk of heart attack for people who already have heart disease.

"All nuts are high in calories, so a handful added to a salad or eaten as a snack will do.”

This was backed by a study published in Nutrients journal in 2023. The meta-analysis of 19 reviews and trials found that consuming nuts could help lower total and “bad” cholesterol.

Fruit is rich in fibre, something that can help lower cholesterol (Image: Getty)

The study authors concluded: “A consistent beneficial effect of most nuts, namely total nuts and tree nuts, including walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios, has been reported across meta-analyses in decreasing total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglycerides.”

However, no effects on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) were found.  

Seeds

Often listed alongside nuts as a heart-healthy snack, seeds are rich in soluble fibre and unsaturated fats. Registered dietitian Emily Schmidt recommended adding them to your diet in a piece for Everyday Health.

She said: “Seeds do double duty, because not only do they have the fibre, but they also have unsaturated fats.” Examples of heart-healthy seeds include chia, flax, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds.

A study, published in the Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, looked at the effects of sunflower seeds on cholesterol. A total of 60 patients were split into two groups - one of which ate two grams of sunflower seeds daily for six months, while the other did not.

The patients in the sunflower seed group showed a “significant and rapid difference” in their cholesterol levels in comparison to the control intervention. The team said: “The study conducted concluded that sunflower seeds can be used as an adjuvant in treating the raised cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein [‘bad’ cholesterol] levels in the blood serum which could otherwise lead various cardiac disorders (both major and minor).”

Fruit

We all know we should be getting our five fruits and vegetables a day but we may not realise the impact this can have on our cholesterol. Heart UK says: “Fruit and vegetables are also high in fibre, and some types of fibre can help to lower your cholesterol. It blocks some cholesterol from being absorbed from the intestines into the bloodstream. 

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“Pulses such as beans, peas and lentils are particularly high in this kind of fibre. Sweet potato, aubergine, okra (ladies’ fingers), broccoli, apples, strawberries and prunes are also good options.”

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that in more than 4,400 participants those who consumed more fruit and vegetables had lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. 

If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels you should speak to your GP.