High Cholesterol: The 41p food that can slash your levels – expert advice
This Morning's Dr Chris discusses the signs of high cholesterol
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It’s no secret that lifestyle changes, including a healthy diet and exercise, can help lower your cholesterol levels. Express.co.uk spoke to nutritionist Rob Hobson about one cheap food that is not only great for cholesterol but also packs other health benefits.
Leading nutritionist Rob Hobson has shared that pears can help lower your cholesterol.
The reason why pears are able to lower our levels is all to do with fibre.
Pears are packed with soluble fibre, which is the type that dissolves in water.
“Soluble fibre turns to sort of like a gel-type substance in the gut, then it clings to cholesterol and it gets removed from the body,” said Hobson.
The nutritionist added: “What’s interesting about pears is they’re quite rich in a soluble fibre called pectin.
“There’s been quite a lot of research on pectin, specifically, in reducing cholesterol.”
The expert explained that pectin is not only found in pears but also other fruits like grapes, cherries and berries that could also benefit your cholesterol.
The nutritionist recommends incorporating pears into smoothies, oat puddings and salads with cheese – all of these are a good source of zinc.
Zinc is also really important for men’s health, a cause that Hobson feels passionate about.
He has partnered up with British Apples and Pears to highlight the benefits of pears for men’s health for Movember, a month dedicated to raising awareness on men’s health.
Hobson explained: “Men are not eating enough fibre in their diet.
“Fibre is known to help reduce heart disease, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and also help with weight loss and these are all issues that affect men.”
As a nutritionist, he advocates thinking about health from a diet point of view.
It can be as easy as starting with a single pear a day, which presents a boost of fibre and nutrients to your diet.
And boosting your fibre intake “generally helps reduce cholesterol”, explains Hobson.
The ultimate meal for lower cholesterol
The nutritionist suggests pairing pears with oats for optimal results. He said: “Oats have cholesterol lowering power as well, they contain beta-glucans which do the same thing as the pectin in pears.
“They help to bind to cholesterol and remove it from the body.”
Another beneficial addition could be milk enriched with plant sterols, a group of substances found naturally in plants.
Hobson says that research has found that plant sterols can help cut your cholesterol by up to 10 percent.
He said: “They are added to foods like milks and margarines and stuff like that.
“They’ve been shown to reduce cholesterol by seven to 10 percent in two to three weeks if you eat them every day.”
The nutritionist adds that thinking about prevention first rather than seeking a cure later is key as it could help avoid many health conditions.
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