{"id":"f-80ae245e0c-4eaa9552-2e35-5318-87d8-1090775ac0b6","title":"Struggling With High LDL Or Bad Cholesterol? This Doctor Shares 4 Food That Help To Lower It","description":"Managing high LDL cholesterol starts on the plate, with people being encouraged to eat certain foods over others.","timestamp":1772878440,"category":"food_and_health","headline":"Struggling With High LDL Or Bad Cholesterol? This Doctor Shares 4 Food That Help To Lower It","modifiedHeadline":"Foods to Lower Bad Cholesterol, Says Doctor","subCategories":["scid_f5dca605"],"subcategoriesName":["Nutrition"],"region":"IN","bundleMetaData":{"bundleId":"95eb7aa5-b217-4492-828d-a879ddce4179","bundleTitle":"Nourish & Flourish","cardData":null},"iabCategoryId":"296","fcSummary":"Surgeon dr. karan rajan highlights diet's crucial role in managing ldl (\"bad\") cholesterol, emphasizing it's not just for older adults. he recommends increasing soluble fiber (oats, beans), consuming plant sterols/stanols, opting for low-fat proteins like soy, and prioritizing unsaturated fats to lower levels and support heart health.","summary":"Doctor advises diet changes, like fiber & soy, to lower LDL \"bad\" cholesterol. Simple swaps can significantly impact heart health.","ctaUrl":"https://trends.glance.com/newz/news/IN/en/news18/f-80ae245e0c-4eaa9552-2e35-5318-87d8-1090775ac0b6","sourceUrl":"https://www.news18.com/lifestyle/health-and-fitness/struggling-with-high-ldl-or-bad-cholesterol-this-doctor-shares-4-food-that-help-to-lower-it-aa-9940904.html","bannerImage":"https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/Iv67OOCKG2a0.webp","content":"

A spike in LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, or “bad” cholesterol, often leads to a person being put on medication and them having to undergo treatment. Yet clinicians point out that pharmaceuticals,

\n\n

including statins, are just one part of the picture. Adjusting what goes on the plate by embracing foods known to support heart health and cutting back on others can make a meaningful difference to cholesterol levels.

\n\n

LDL is a type of protein-lipid particle that carries cholesterol throughout the body. It is bad as it then deposits the cholesterol in artery walls, narrowing them and restricting blood flow, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Dr Karan Rajan, a surgeon practising in the UK, who has built a substantial following online, has underscored the impact of diet to control cholesterol. In an Instagram post, he drew attention to four foods that may assist in lowering LDL levels and promoting heart health. He stressed that high cholesterol can affect younger adults too, revealing his own diagnosis of elevated LDL and mild fatty liver disease in his late twenties.

\n\n

“If you have high LDL cholesterol, this is one of the most powerful things you can do. And we need to stop thinking that high cholesterol is just an older person’s problem; I had high LDL and mild fatty liver disease in my late 20s,” he said.

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n View this post on Instagram\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
A post shared by Dr Karan Rajan (@drkaranrajan)
\n
\n

\n\n

Dr Karan Rajan notes that cholesterol is not solely derived from food, as the liver produces it naturally. Problems arise when diets rich in saturated fat push up LDL levels, impairing the liver’s capacity to remove excess ‘bad’ cholesterol from the blood.

\n\n

Here are some foods Dr Karan Rajan recommends for controlling LDL cholesterol:

Fibre

Increasing soluble fibre intake is one of Dr Rajan’s key recommendations. He explains that this variety of fibre thickens in the gut and attaches itself to bile acids. Because these acids are derived from cholesterol, the liver draws additional LDL from the
\n blood to replace them, gradually lowering overall levels.

“For me, reversing high cholesterol started with fibre. Specifically, soluble fibre – oats, barley, beans, lentils. Soluble fibre forms a gel in your gut that binds to bile acids, and bile acids are made from cholesterol. Your body then has to pull more LDL
\n out of your blood to make more bile, thus lowering LDL,” he said.

\n\n

Plant Sterols And Stanols

Naturally present in some plant foods and available as supplements, sterols and stanols share a similar structure to cholesterol. Their benefit lies in their ability to compete with cholesterol during digestion, reducing how much is absorbed and lowering circulating
\n LDL.

Low Fat Proteins

Cutting back on animal proteins rich in saturated fat and opting instead for alternatives such as soy could be beneficial, according to Dr Rajan. Beyond being a lower-fat protein source, soy contains bioactive elements believed to support healthier cholesterol
\n metabolism.

\n\n

“Even if you’re going hard on the protein, try swapping the high saturated fat animal sources for low-saturated fat sources like soy. Soy also contains bioactive compounds that influence lipid metabolism. For example, a large meta-analysis of 46 trials showed
\n that eating 25 grams of soy protein per day lowered LDL cholesterol by three to four percent compared to non-soy protein,” he said.

Unsaturated Fats

The type of fat consumed is just as important as the quantity, the surgeon explains, urging people to choose unsaturated fats over saturated varieties. Such fats are known to assist in reducing LDL levels by aiding its clearance from the blood, supporting overall
\n cardiovascular health.

\n","readDurationInMinutes":"9","author":{"name":"News18","logo":"https://glance-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/bubble/png/93a0a932-2fe3-40ed-bfdb-4582706f8183.jpeg"},"ism":false,"analyticsResponses":[],"pointerSummary":["Surgeon Dr Karan Rajan highlights diet's role in lowering LDL cholesterol.","Soluble fibre (oats, beans) binds bile acids, prompting the liver to remove LDL.","Unsaturated fats & soy protein can help lower LDL; Dr Rajan addressed his own diagnosis."],"tags":["LDLCholesterol","BadCholesterol","HeartHealth","DietaryChanges","DrKaranRajan","SolubleFibre","PlantSterols","PlantStanols","LowFatProteins","SoyProtein","UnsaturatedFats","CardiovascularHealth","CholesterolManagement","HealthyEating","PreventativeMedicine"],"redirectionEnabled":false,"consent":true}

Struggling With High LDL Or Bad Cholesterol? This Doctor Shares 4 Food That Help To Lower It

SUMMARY