Three simple food changes for quick lowering of high cholesterol before drugs needed

While cholesterol is essential for creating hormones and cell membranes, too much of it can spark serious health problems like heart attacks and strokes. When you've got hyperlipidemia—that's the fancy term for high cholesterol—those extra lipids begin clogging up your arteries.

The Cleveland Clinic has broken it down: think of these lipids teaming up with other blood substances to form plaque, or fatty deposits. As this gunk builds up over time, blood flow takes a hit.

If things take a turn for the worse, these plaques might burst all of a sudden, causing a clot and setting off a heart attack or stroke, the experts over at the Mayo Clinic say. Now, what gets your cholesterol levels off the chart?

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Usually a dodgy diet, packing on the pounds, vegging out instead of vigorous exercise, puffing cigarettes, and knocking back the booze.

This sneaky culprit, high cholesterol, doesn't exactly shout about its presence; folks often don't catch on until a blood test spells it out.

A worrying number of adults have more cholesterol than they should, higher than 5mmol/L per the national guidelines, as revealed by the British Heart Foundation. Dr Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist, lets us in on her top three chow-down choices to drive down that cholesterol, and guess what?

They're all brimming with fibre.

She puts it plainly: "As a cardiologist, I always tell patients that lowering their LDL [low-density lipoprotein] 'bad' cholesterol can help prevent cardiovascular disease.

"Many foods have soluble fibre, which binds cholesterol in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation."

First on her list is oats, which she believes are crucial for lowering cholesterol. She said: "I always stock my kitchen with oats, and typically have half a cup per day."

"Not only are they high in fibre, they contain plenty of antioxidants, including those that help improve blood vessel function and lower blood pressure."

Chickpeas are another fibre-rich food that Dr Klodas recommends.

"They're packed with potassium and magnesium, both important for blood pressure control," she said. "One cup has almost 15 grams of protein, 12 grams of fibre, and one-fourth of your daily iron requirement."

For those who enjoy snacking throughout the day, almonds are a great choice as they are full of fibre, protein, and vitamin E.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) advises: "If you have high cholesterol, it's most important to eat less saturated fat."

"Foods that are high in saturated fats are things like fatty and processed meat, pies and pastry, butter, cream, and coconut oil."

There are simple dietary swaps that can be done to help lower cholesterol levels. The BHF advises: "The best way to eat a better diet is to swap your saturated fats with foods that are high in unsaturated fat."

For instance, switching from butter, which is high in saturated fat, to vegetable oil spreads like sunflower or rapeseed oil is a healthier option.

Other healthier swaps include opting for leaner mince, choosing fish, turkey or skinless chicken over red or processed meats, and going for plant-based alternatives like lentils, soya or Quorn instead of red meat.

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