How to lower your cholesterol - High cholesterol

Ways to lower your cholesterol

Eat less fatty food

To reduce your cholesterol, try to cut down on fatty food, especially food that contains a type of fat called saturated fat.

You can still have foods that contain a healthier type of fat called unsaturated fat.

Check labels on food to see what type of fat it has in it.

Try to eat more:

• oily fish, like mackerel and salmon
• olive oil, rapeseed oil and spreads made from these oils
• brown rice, wholegrain bread and wholewheat pasta
• nuts and seeds
• fruits and vegetables

Try to eat less:

• meat pies, sausages and fatty meat
• butter, lard and ghee
• cream and cheese
• cakes and biscuits
• food that contains coconut oil or palm oil

Exercise more

Aim to do at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week.

Some good things to try when starting out include:

• walking – try to walk fast enough so your heart starts beating faster
• swimming
• cycling

Try a few different exercises to find something you like doing. You're more likely to keep doing it if you enjoy it.

Stop smoking

Smoking can raise your cholesterol and make you more likely to have serious problems like heart attacks, strokes and cancer.

If you want to stop smoking, you can get help and support from:

• your GP
• NHS stop smoking services

They can give you useful tips and advice about ways to stop cravings.

Cut down on alcohol

Try to:

• avoid drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week on a regular basis
• spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week
• have several drink-free days each week

Ask your GP for help and advice if you're struggling to cut down.