Summary

  • Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in your blood. There are two main types – known as good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL).
  • To reduce your levels of ‘bad cholesterol’, choose a variety of foods from the five food groups, and limit sugary, fatty and salty takeaway meals and snacks.
  • Replace foods containing saturated fats and trans-fats with those that contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats by choosing healthier fats and oils such as olive or canola oil, nuts, seeds, fish and avocado.
  • Include foods containing fibre by choosing vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, nuts and seeds every day.
  • Have your cholesterol and triglycerides checked by your doctor regularly.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced naturally by your liver and found in your blood. Cholesterol is used for many different things in your body, but it can become a problem when there is too much of it in your blood.

Some foods contain cholesterol. This is called ‘dietary cholesterol’ and it is found only in animal products. For most people, eating foods high in dietary cholesterol only has a small influence on their blood cholesterol. 

High levels of cholesterol in your blood are mainly caused by eating foods high in saturated fats and trans-fats, and not including foods with unsaturated fats and with fibre.

Types of cholesterol

The two main types of cholesterol are: 

  • Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) – also known as ‘bad’ cholesterol because it can add to the build-up of plaque (fatty deposits) in your arteries and increase your risk of coronary heart disease.
  • High-density lipoprotein (HDL) – also known as ‘good’ cholesterol because it can help to protect you against coronary heart disease.

How  is cholesterol measured?

Most people with high cholesterol feel perfectly well and often have no symptoms. The best way to find out if your cholesterol is high is to have a blood test (known as a lipid panel or profile). 

Visit your GP to determine whether you need to lower your cholesterol level and what action to take. 

GPs can also do a heart health check, that calculates your heart disease and stroke risk.

What causes high cholesterol?

Some causes of high blood cholesterol include: 

  • Low intake of foods containing healthy fats – healthy fats tend to increase the good (HDL) cholesterol. 
  • High intake of foods containing unhealthy fats (saturated fats and trans-fats) – such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, butter, coconut oil, palm oil and most deep-fried takeaway foods and commercially baked products (such as pies, biscuits, buns and pastries). Foods high in trans-fats include most commercially baked products and deep-fried takeaway foods.
  • Low intake of foods containing fibre – foods that are high in dietary fibre, particularly soluble fibre, can reduce the amount of LDL cholesterol in your blood. Include fibre-containing foods in your diet by choosing vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, nuts and seeds every day.
  • Cholesterol in food (dietary cholesterol) – this has only a small effect on LDL (bad) cholesterol -saturated fats and trans-fats in food have a much greater effect. 
  • You can also eat up to 7 eggs a week as part of a healthy, balanced diet low in saturated and trans-fats, without increasing your risk of heart disease.
  • Genetics – your family history may affect your cholesterol level (also known as familial hypercholesterolaemia). 

Some people will have high cholesterol even if they follow a healthy, balanced diet low in saturated fats and trans-fats. These people may need to take cholesterol-lowering medicine as prescribed by their doctor.

Cholesterol and healthy eating

What we eat has an impact on our cholesterol levels and can help reduce our risk of disease. Try to eat a wide variety of foods from each of the five food groups. Not only does this help to maintain a healthy and interesting diet, but it provides essential nutrients to the body. 

The Heart Foundation recommends: 

  • Plenty of vegetables, fruits and wholegrains.
  • A variety of healthy protein sources (especially fish and seafood), legumes (such as beans and lentils), nuts and seeds. Smaller amounts of eggs and lean poultry can also be included in a heart healthy diet. If choosing red meat, make sure it  is lean and limit to 1-3 times a week.
  • Unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese. Those with high blood cholesterol should choose reduced fat varieties.
  • Healthy fat choices –  nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and their oils for cooking
  • Herbs and spices to flavour foods, instead of adding salt.

Also, be mindful on how much you are eating and whether you are filling up on unhealthy foods. Portion sizes have increased over time and many of us are eating more than we need which can lead to obesity and increase our risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Ideally, a healthy plate would include servings of  – ¼ protein, ¼ carbohydrates and ½ vegetables.

Serving size can vary depending on age, gender and specific nutrition needs. 

healthy-eating-image
 
Image courtesy of the Heart Foundation, Australia

Healthy eating tips to lower cholesterol

As well as sticking to a varied and healthy diet, try these  tips to help you manage your cholesterol: 

  • Limit takeaway foods to once a week (such as pastries, pies, pizza, hot chips, fried fish, hamburgers and creamy pasta dishes).
  • Limit salty, fatty and sugary snack foods to once a week (these include crisps, cakes, pastries, biscuits, lollies and chocolate).
  • Eat plenty of vegetables – aim for 5 serves of vegetables every day. (1 serve is ½  a cup of cooked vegetables).
  • Choose wholegrain breads, cereal, pasta, rice and noodles.
  • Snack on plain, unsalted nuts and fresh fruit (ideally two serves of fruit every day).
  • Include legumes (or pulses) – such as chickpeas, lentils, split peas), beans (such as haricot beans, kidney beans, baked beans three-bean mix) into at least two meals a week. Check food labels and choose the lowest sodium (salt) products. 
  • Use spreads and margarines made from healthy unsaturated fats ( such as canola, sunflower or extra virgin olive oil) instead of those made with saturated fat (such as butter, coconut oil and cream).
  • Use healthy oils for cooking – some include canola, sunflower, soybean, olive (extra virgin is a good choice), sesame and peanut oils.
  • Use salad dressings and mayonnaise made from oils – such as canola, sunflower, soybean, olive (especially extra virgin), sesame and peanut oils.
  • Include 2 or 3 serves of plant-sterol-enriched foods every day (for example, plant-sterol-enriched margarine, yoghurt, milk and bread).
  • Have 2 to 3 portions (150 grams each) of oily fish every week. Fish may be fresh, frozen or canned.
  • Include up to 7 eggs every week.
  • Select lean meat (meat trimmed of fat, and poultry without skin) and limit unprocessed red meat to less than 350g per week.
  • Choose  reduced fat, no added sugar milk, yoghurt, or calcium-added non-dairy food and drinks. 
  • Limit or avoid processed meats including sausages and deli meats (such as salami).

If you are having trouble with your cholesterol levels, a dietitian can help you to eat healthily for your specific needs.

Dietary fibre

If you are trying to lower your cholesterol, aim to eat foods that are high in dietary fibre (particularly soluble fibre), because they can reduce the amount of LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood. 

These foods include:

Dietary fats

Following a healthy, balanced diet that is low in saturated fats and trans-fats can help to lower your cholesterol.

Aim to replace foods that contain unhealthy, saturated and trans-fats with foods that contain healthy fats.

Unhealthy fats

Foods high in (unhealthy) saturated fats include:

  • fatty cuts of meat
  • full fat dairy products (such as milk, cream, cheese and yoghurt)
  • deep fried fast foods
  • processed foods (such as biscuits and pastries)
  • takeaway foods (such as hamburgers and pizza)
  • coconut oil
  • butter.

Foods high in (unhealthy) trans fats include:

  • deep fried foods
  • baked goods (such as pies, pastries, cakes and biscuits)
  • butter.

Healthy fats

Foods high in (healthy) polyunsaturated fats include:

  • margarine spreads and oils such as sunflower, soybean and safflower
  • oily fish
  • some nuts and seeds. 

Foods high in (healthy) monounsaturated fats include:

  • margarine spreads and oils (such as olive, canola and peanut)
  • avocados
  • some nuts.

Triglycerides in your blood

In addition to cholesterol, your blood also contains a type of fat called triglycerides, which are stored in your body’s fat deposits. Hormones release triglycerides to make energy between meals. 

When you eat, your body converts any extra energy (kilojoules) it doesn’t need right away into triglycerides.

Like cholesterol, your body needs triglycerides to work properly. However, there is evidence to suggest that some people with high triglycerides are at increased risk of heart disease and stroke. 

If you regularly eat more energy than you need, you may have high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridaemia). 

Lowering triglycerides

Some ways to reduce triglyceride levels include:

  • Stick to  a healthy diet by following the heart healthy eating recommendations.
  • Limit sugary, fatty and salty takeaway meals and snacks. 
  • Limit intake of sugar-sweetened drinks (such as soft drinks, cordial, energy drinks and sports drinks)
  • include foods with healthy omega-3 fats (for example, fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna). 

Treatment for high cholesterol

Making lifestyle changes, especially changing some of the foods you eat, and regular physical activity, are very important to help reduce high LDL (bad) cholesterol.

You may also need to take cholesterol-lowering medicines (such as statins) to help manage your cholesterol and reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Talk to your doctor about finding the most appropriate treatment for you.

Where to get help

  1. Simple ways to cut down on fat intro

    Fats can wreak havoc on our bodies and contribute to weight gain if we eat too much. Although we need fats in our diet, many of us are unaware of how to maintain a healthy weight because we’re not consuming the right amount and types of fat. Cutting down on fat is not as hard as we think, and it doesn’t necessarily mean we have to give up our favourite foods. Get started with these simple tips.

  2. Avocados

    Fats we love

    Unsaturated fats are great for our bodies – they lower our cholesterol levels and give us the fatty acids we need. These ‘good fats’ come in two forms – polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Polyunsaturated fats can be found in fish (especially oily fish), nuts (walnuts and Brazil nuts), seeds (such as sesame – hommus and tahini are great!), polyunsaturated margarines and some oils (sunflower, safflower, soy, and corn.) Monounsaturated fats are found in avocado, nuts and nut spreads (peanuts, hazelnuts, cashews and almonds), margarine spreads (such as canola or olive oil based), and oils such as olive, canola and peanut oil.

  3. Choosing an iced donut

    Beware of trans fats

    Trans fats (also known as trans fatty acids) are actually worse than saturated fats. They are variants of unsaturated fats that have been altered during the manufacturing process to make fats and oils harden, (imagine what they’re doing to our insides)! These fats alter our cholesterol levels for the worse and put us at higher risk of heart disease and stroke. That’s why it’s important to limit products where fats have been altered in some way, (such as deep-fried food, pies, pastries, cakes, donuts and some margarines and butter). Small amounts of trans fat occur naturally in milk, cheese, beef and lamb and are not dangerous.

    Hint: read food labels carefully and if you see trans fat listed choose another product.

  4. Nutrition facts on muesli bar

    Check those labels

    The ingredients on food labels are listed in order of quantity. That means if the label on the product lists fats first, it means it’s high in fat. Be on the lookout for other fats on labels too (such as oil, shortening, cocoa butter or cream). Go for ‘low’ or ‘reduced fat’ dairy products. And when selecting processed foods, choose those with less than 5 g per 100 g of total fat.

    Hint: download a free app like FoodSwitch, which scans barcodes on food labels and gives their nutritional value. If you have kids get them to help you shop – it teaches them all about healthy eating.

  5. Legumes

    Learn to love vegies and legumes

    The best way to cut down on bad fats is to eat plenty of fresh vegetables and legumes (or pulses). Pack a punch by adding as many colours and varieties as you can. Learn to love legumes – they fill us up and are loaded with fibre, vitamins and antioxidants.

    Hint: try adding legumes to your vegie intake – one serve of legumes is 75 g (about a half a cup) of cooked beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils. If you don’t have time to cook from dried, use canned instead. Try our hearty vegetable soup.

  6. Olive oil

    Get the good oil

    When cooking, get into the habit of using a small amount of oil, margarine and butter. Grease pans with cooking spray, or use a pastry brush to apply oils and spreads directly to food instead of adding it to the pan. Use unsaturated oils and spreads, such as canola, olive, safflower, sunflower, corn or soy. Watch coconut oil and cream, they're high in saturated fat.

    Hint: when cooking with oil, or using unsaturated spreads (such as margarine on sandwiches), aim for one teaspoon per person. Measure it out too – or you may end up eating more than you bargained for!

  7. Friends cooking

    Be a master chef

    Be adventurous in the kitchen – try healthier methods and modify recipes. Steam, bake, grill, braise, boil or microwave meals rather than frying in loads of oil. For example, meat, fish and vegetables can be roasted in the oven – put meat on a rack with a dish underneath to collect oil and fat. Invest in some non-stick cookware to lessen the amount of oil required. Replace oil with liquids too (such as chicken or beef stock, red or white wine, lemon juice, fruit juice, vinegar or even tap water).

    Hint: look for healthy alternatives to popular meals – give these potato wedges a go, they’re better than chips, quick to make and the dishes aren't as greasy to clean!

  8. Lean cuts of chicken

    Lean meat is best

    If you’re a carnivore, watch how much saturated fat you’re eating. Buy lean meat, trim off any visible fat, remove skin from poultry and limit fatty processed meats, (such as sausages and salami). Processed meats are high in salt and higher in saturated fat than lean meat – so make them occasional foods and not part of your daily diet. Put less meat in dishes by increasing the amount of vegies and legumes you eat. One pot meals such as stews, curries and casseroles are ideal. Try to go meat-free at least one day a week. If you’re stuck for ideas, check out these healthy recipes.

    Hint: aim for 65 g of cooked lean red meat (no more than 455 g per week), or 80 g of cooked lean poultry per serve, (a serve is roughly the size of your palm). We only need around one to three serves of protein (e.g. lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts or seeds and legumes) each day. Remember, our dietary needs vary depending on our age and gender.

  9. Person selecting low fat milk

    Be dairy aware

    Go for low or reduced-fat dairy products when you can. Full fat milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives are an important source of calcium and nutrients in our diet, but can increase our kilojoule count if we’re not careful. Unless a recipe states otherwise, stick to reduced or low-fat varieties. Limit your intake of meals with creamy sauces and swap them for pesto, salsa, chutneys and tomato-based sauces – they’re much better on our waistlines! Use low-fat yoghurt or milk, evaporated skim milk or cornflower instead of cream in sauces or soups.

    Note: reduced or low fat milk is not recommended for children under two.
    Hint: read food labels carefully, some low-fat products contain hidden salt and sugars.

  10. Young man ordering takeaway food online

    Go easy on takeaway

    A whopping one third of our household budget goes on takeaway food and dining out. Because we can’t see how the meals are prepared we have no idea how much fat goes into them. Many takeaway outlets use saturated fats because they’re cheaper and can withstand cooking at high temperatures. Make takeaway an occasional treat and opt for meals lower in ‘bad fats’ such as – grilled burgers, souvlaki, pizzas with less meat and cheese, and grilled and skinless chicken.

    Hint: try to steer clear of hot chips – a large serve contains around 50 g of saturated fat, (well above the recommended daily intake of 20 g).

  11. Dining on a healthy meal

    Eating out

    If you’re eating out, ditch the all you can eat buffet and select from the menu. It’s a good idea to ask for dressings and sauces on the side so that way you control how much you want to eat. Avoid fries as a side dish and opt for vegies or salad. Steer clear from fried food and choose grilled instead. Think about how much you’re eating – do you really need that entrée or starter? And if you have dessert, choose healthier alternatives such sorbet instead of ice-cream or fruit instead of cheesecake.

    Hint: Check out Livelighter for ways to eat healthily when dining out.

  12. Young man snacking on an apple

    Be snack savvy

    Many snacks, especially the ones we buy are high in saturated fats. If you’re prone to snacking, you could be consuming the equivalent of a small meal – a handful of potato chips can contain up to three teaspoons of fat! If you need to snack, opt for low-fat – small tubs of yoghurt, fresh fruit, nuts or cut up vegie sticks with homemade dips or salsa are ideal. When at work or out and about, keep snacks handy in your desk or bag so you’re less likely to pig out on junk foods. This rule applies after exercise too, and don’t forget to drink lots of water.

    Hint: although it can be tempting, don’t snack in front of the TV – we’re less likely to respond to our body signals when we zone out and end up eating far more than we need!

  13. Person eating two hamburgers and chips

    Big is not better

    We should be eating no more than 20 g of saturated per day, which according to the Heart Foundation, is around seven per cent of our daily diet. Most of us however, are eating nearly double that limit. Over the years, the size of our meals has grown at an alarming rate. Take control of portions by following this simple rule – a half of our plate can be taken up with a variety of vegies, a quarter with cereals and grains, and a quarter with meat and alternatives (meat, fish, tofu, legumes). Be a mindful eater – are you really hungry or just eating for the sake of it? Do you take time to savour your food or wolf it down? If you find it difficult to cut back, do it slowly – even reducing in small amounts can make a difference.

    Hint: use a smaller plate or go for an entrée size when eating out. And if you’re loading up or going in for seconds, it might be time to rethink about what and how much you’re eating!

  14. Plate of sushi

    Be a fan of fish

    Fish is a wonder food – rich in good oils such as omega-3 fatty acids, which are linked to better heart and brain health. Although omega-3 can be found in other animal and plant sources, fish – especially oily fish is best. If you’re budget is tight, it doesn’t mean you need to forgo the health benefits – tinned fish (such as sardines, salmon and tuna) are higher in omega-3 than some fresh varieties. If you’re looking for fresh – salmon, trout, gemfish and flathead are ideal, but any variety is better than none. Check out the Australian Dietary Guidelines for more on recommended serves.

    Hint: if you’re a meat eater, replace one meal with fish each week (even better if you can do more!) Try our quick and easy fish and tomato casserole.

  15. Man running

    Burning fat

    Here in Australia, we are lucky to live somewhere where food is plentiful. Unfortunately, many of us overeat and are consuming more energy than we burn, which leads to weight gain. Fat (37 kJ) is energy dense, it contains more kilojoules (or calories) than other components in foods such as protein (17 kJ) and carbohydrates (16 kJ). When we exercise, some fats break down (metabolise) faster than others, and saturated fats are the hardest to shift. Aim for at 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day (kids need more – 60 minutes) and cut down on the amount you eat, especially high fat foods.

    Hint: embrace technology, it’s a great way to track your way to a healthy lifestyle. There are plenty of reputable apps out there and many of them are free!

References

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This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by: Heart Foundation

Last updated: June 2018

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