Cholesterol

A recently published analysis of 26 scientific studies on the effect of pulses (beans, chickpeas, lentils and peas) on cholesterol levels of mostly middle-aged people at risk of heart disease, revealed how good these little gems can be for you. Just one serving (130 grams) per day achieved a significant reduction in cholesterol. Regular pulse intake has also been shown to be beneficial in terms of weight control, improved sugar metabolism and lower blood pressure.

One of the branches of the extensive EPIC-Oxford study focusing on lifestyle and various diseases produced exciting results. Data gained from over 44,000 people, each of them being followed for about 11 years were analysed. Compared with non-vegetarians, vegetarians had lower body weight, blood cholesterol and blood pressure. Overall, vegetarians had a 32 per cent lower risk of heart disease than non-vegetarians.

There have been a number of studies investigating the effects of soya isolates (eg extracted soya protein) on human health but not so many using soya foods as they are normally eaten. A recent study did just that as it was aimed at investigating the effect of soya milk consumption on cholesterol levels in blood. High cholesterol is responsible for furred up arteries so it’s important to keep your cholesterol in check in order to stay healthy. Healthy young to middle-aged volunteers consumed soya milk daily for a period of 21 days.

According to a large-scale study published in Archives of Internal Medicine, fibre-rich foods reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular, infectious, and respiratory diseases. The study of 388,000 male and female Americans aged 50 to 71 also showed that frequent consumption of these foods can also decrease the overall risk of cancer. Whole grains were found to be most beneficial among fibre rich foods in this aspect. Fibre has also gained reputation for helping to stabilise blood pressure and cholesterol, and is therefore helpful for diabetics and heart patients.

Walnuts can help improve the balance of fats in the blood according to new research in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In this study, 87 people with normal to moderately high cholesterol levels supplemented their diet with walnuts (12 per cent of total daily energy intake, around 17 walnut halves per day) everyday for six months. The beneficial effect was most significant in participants with high cholesterol levels.

Studies show that vegetarians have a lower risk of dementia, new research may explain why. This new study from the US found that a high cholesterol level in midlife was associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Even borderline cholesterol levels of 5.2 in midlife raised the risk of late-life dementia by 50 per cent. Two out of three adults in the UK have a cholesterol level of five or above. However, the good news is you can lower your cholesterol by going veggie.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients may be able to reduce their high risk of heart disease and stroke with a gluten-free vegan diet say researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. 38 volunteers with RA, following the test diet for one year, showed a significant drop in their levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol compared to a control group eating a non-vegan low-fat wholegrain diet. RA affects around 350,000 people in the UK.

People with high cholesterol levels in mid-life are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those with low cholesterol according to new research from California. From a group of 9,752 people (whose cholesterol had been measured in their 40s) 504 developed Alzheimer’s. The study revealed that those with high cholesterol levels in mid-life were 50 per cent more likely to develop this disease later in life.