Making healthy lifestyle changes will lead to your cholesterol being brought back down to a normal range
Aldi sells a yoghurt drink that could help those who need to lower their cholesterol. The drinks come in a pack containing eight small bottles, and each contains a key cholesterol-lowering ingredient that helps slash the risk of developing a fatty liver too.
The price of one pack is £2.65, and shoppers can choose from a plain variety, strawberry, or blueberry. This works out to roughly 33p per bottle, and one pack should last a whole week.
The drink is made with plant sterols, also known as phytosterols. This natural compound is found in plants and have been proven to help lower the amount of cholesterol that is able to enter your body.
Plant sterols can help reduce the amount of cholesterol that enters the body and may also reduce how much cholesterol the body makes. They can be especially helpful for people with familial hypercholesterolemia, an inherited tendency towards high cholesterol.
Phytosterols, which have a cell structure similar to cholesterol, can compete with it for absorption in your digestive system. When your body processes these plant sterols instead of cholesterol, it helps eliminate some cholesterol as waste.
This results in lower cholesterol levels and improved overall health. One study found that plant sterols can reduce cholesterol absorption by 30–50%.
Phytosterols can help reduce cholesterol levels when included in a heart-healthy diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Research suggests that consuming 2g of phytosterols daily can lead to an 8% to 10% decrease in LDL cholesterol.
People who are on statins or ezetimibe, a medication for lowering cholesterol, may also experience benefits from phytosterols. However, some studies suggest that phytosterols might contribute to the accumulation of plaque in blood vessels, but further studies are necessary to confirm these findings.
Phytosterols are not advised for individuals with sitosterolemia, a genetic condition that causes an accumulation of cholesterol and plant sterols in the body. Speak to your doctor first before making any diet or lifestyle changes and to check plant sterols are suitable for you.
Not all cholesterol is bad – your body needs some to build cells, protect nerves and produce vitamins and hormones. But, when you overproduce and have high levels in your body, that’s when issues can start.
People who have high cholesterol often present with little to no symptoms that they have too much of a fatty substance in their blood. It’s mainly caused by eating fatty food, not exercising enough, being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol. It can also run in families.
You can only find out if you have high cholesterol from a blood test. Your GP might suggest having the test because of your age, weight or a pre-existing condition (like high blood pressure or diabetes).
