Has anybody succeeded in doing this? (reducing cholesterol by diet)
I’m going to give it a go as I don’t want to take statins!
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I didn’t have very high cholesterol Carol but I found that it reduced after I started having fresh squeezed orange juice every morning. I tried to work out what was different in my lifestyle and that seemed to be the only variable. I googled it and apparently it’s a thing. There’s even a study.
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Eating one to 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal daily lowers LDL cholesterol between 5 and 8 percent.
To have uncooked oatmeal helps up to 26 percent, as in energy bars or snacks.
It definitely works for me.
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That’s interesting .
I like orange juice but it doesn’t like me but a little in the morning might be ok .
I do eat oat and fruit muesli in the morning . Haven’t had my cholesterol checked for ages but last time it was towards the high side of normal .
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I changed my diet, although I did think I ate quite healthily before. I have been having oatbran most mornings for many years, as does my husband. It is supposed to be even better for lowering cholesterol than porridge oats. You can buy it in most large supermarkets or health shops. It has a lovely, smooth and creamy texture and we have it with hot skimmed milk and some fruit on top.
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I have oatbran on my porridge and hubby has it on his shredded wheat and muesli, It does help.
Also hubby thinks that having orange juice helps his high blood pressure.
Oatbran, almonds, walnuts, salmon, mackerel, apples, sweet potatoes.
All on my list.
Is there anything else?
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Looking at the foods it all sounds pretty much like an alkaline diet Carol. It’s promoted as heart health/good cholesterol boosting, also reduces risk of diabetes
When I was 25 I changed my diet to a high fibre low in sugar and fats diet. It has kept my weight down and help me not becoming a diabetic and a low cholesterol.
Carol, how are you going to know if your new diet is working, unless you can get regular fasting blood tests done?
I have a condition where my immune system has attacked itself. It’s called PMR (Polymyalgia rheumatica) & every six months I have blood tests to check the inflammation level.
It seems I also have other tests as well as when I got my last results the doctor told me my cholesterol level was high & I got a prescription for statins.
I just don’t want to take them as I have enough muscle/nerve problems as it is.
I have decided to try the change in diet & will try to stick to it as much as I can.
When I next go for my blood tests ( in a few months) it will show whether the diet is working.
If it hasn’t worked I’ll have to think again about taking statins.
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My GP pointed me towards Benecol , products , like butter , drinks and yoghurts
Strawberry-Cherry Yogurt
Not only are these thick and fruity yogurts bursting with the taste of strawberries or cherries – thanks to our unique plant stanols, enjoying just one pot a day can lower your cholesterol in 2 to 3 weeks.
I suppose its worth a try to lower your cholesterol by diet Carol, but as has been said before, not all statins make people feel rough. Wasn’ t there a conversation about this not long ago? 
Did you ask the doc how high your cholestral was, or what it needed to be brought down to ideally so that you have some idea what to aim for?
Not sure why you werent aware they checked your cholestral though, as it is usually a 12 hr fasting blood test. Is it the same for your auto-immune test?
Anyway, hope you get on alright with your experiment. 
Yes the doctor said it was 7.5 & it needs to get down to under 5.
I have never had to fast for these tests & they only take one small phial of blood.
I knew I was tested for the inflamation markers but didn’t take much notice what the other tests were for. I just assumed kidney function etc . I think this is a new one the doctor added this time…
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My GP pointed me towards Benecol , products , like butter , drinks and yoghurts
Eliza - do you take statins?
No , I have to many side effects with them
Most of your cholesterol is produced by the liver. Only 10% I think, is influenced by the foods you eat.
Just found this Carol, and looks like you were quite right, so my apologies for misleading you.
It seems that newer methods of cholesterol testing don’t necessarily need the fast. My surgery still does it the old way, that is why I thought a fast was necessary.
Quote:
While fasting always provided more accurate measures for both the new and the old tests, the differences with the newer method were clinically meaningful in the majority of cases."