Cholesterol can be lowered by diet alone

I have found that when I eat a lot of regular cheese, my blood pressure goes up. When I switch to a lower fat diet, and use mostly lower fat cheese like mozzarella, my blood pressure goes back down. And mozzarella is not low-fat in absolute terms, but relative to cheddar, for example.

http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/cholesterol-can-be-lowered-by-diet-alone

By Genevra Pittman, ReutersTue, Aug 23 2011 at 4:17 PM EST

NEW YORK - A diet based around plants, nuts and high-fiber grains lowered "bad" cholesterol more than a low-saturated-fat diet that was also vegetarian, researchers reported on Tuesday.

And the drop in low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, was big enough that dietary changes could be an alternative to statin medications for many people, they said.

"There's no question that statins have made a major difference in terms of cardiovascular disease control," said study author Dr. David Jenkins, from the University of Toronto. But at least for now, he added, "we can only get so far with statins."

One in four adults age 45 and older in the U.S. takes the cholesterol-lowering drugs.

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