The Best Way to Cut Cholesterol

Slimming down is more important than cutting fat

by Sarah Robertson

You just found out your cholesterol count's high. To bring it down, tackle these numbers.

Lose Weight--First
You'll get the biggest reduction by dropping pounds. Being overweight seems to disrupt the normal metabolism of fats. So even if you eat less fat (a common first step), you won't get the fullest cholesterol-lowering benefits unless you lose weight, says Jose Ordovas, PhD, of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston.

Get Smart about Fat
Eating more of some fats is actually better for your cholesterol than unilaterally cutting all fats. Replace foods high in saturated fat--fatty meats, butter, full-fat milk and cheese--with those high in monounsaturated fats. Olive and canola oils, most nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans), avocados, peanuts, and peanut butter are all sources of monos. Although it may not have an immediate effect on cholesterol, this diet lowered triglycerides--an independent risk factor for heart disease--in a study by Dr. Ordovas of overweight men.

Move Your Body
Exercise may help boost "good" HDL cholesterol and lower total cholesterol levels. And accumulating 45 to 60 minutes of moderate intensity activity at least 5 days a week also helps you lose weight.

Losing a Pound Pays Off
The benefits of losing a little weight just got bigger, according to findings from the landmark Framingham Heart Study in 2000. Taking off 1 to 2 lb a year--and keeping it off--may cut your risk of high blood pressure by 25 percent and diabetes by 35 percent, says Lynn Moore, DSc, lead author of the reports and assistant professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.