Infuse Issue 7 March 2019 | Page 22

For an adult with high cholesterol
and a high risk of CVD, the Heart
Foundation acknowledges the
benefit of consuming naturally
occurring plant sterol foods as
well as including foods that have
been enriched with plant sterols.
By consuming an adequate amount
of plant sterols daily, adults may
lower their LDL-cholesterol levels
by around 10 percent depending on
the age of the person.
The Heart Foundation recommends that adults with
high cholesterol consume between 2 and 3 grams
of plant sterol-enriched foods per day. To put this
amount into perspective, the average Western diet
contains between 160 and 400 mg/day of plant
sterols. Even for a strict vegetarian, the amount
eaten would only be between 600 and 800 mg/
day. Hence the benefit of including sterol-enriched
foods in the diet.
Importantly, the consumption of plant sterols is
not a substitution for medication so someone on
cholesterol-lowering medication should continue
taking it as recommended by their doctor.
Heart Health Tips for High Cholesterol
• Eating generous amounts of fruits and
vegetables. Fresh, frozen and canned are all
good options.
• Eat more wholegrains which are a good source
of fibre and are linked to a reduced risk of CVD.
• Eat foods rich in unsaturated fats such as nuts,
seeds, and olive oil while also having less of
foods high in saturated fat such as fatty meat,
butter and coconut oil.
• Include 2–3 grams of plant sterols per day
from enriched foods like wholegrain breakfast
biscuits, milk and spreads.
• Eat more soy foods which contain high-quality
protein that can help with lowering cholesterol.
© Dietitian Connection
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Infuse | March 2019