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According to the British Heart Foundation, the UK has still got one of highest CHD death rates in Western Europe¹.

The Portfolio Diet incorporates four specific foods which will help lower cholesterol if adhered to on a daily basis.

High cholesterol and its causes

It is well known that one of the main causes of CVD is high cholesterol. What is less well-known is how to reduce it. Cholesterol is influenced mainly by diet and heredity. Whilst nothing can be done to the latter, steps can be taken to help improve the former: diet. According to a study done by Grundy et al. (2004), for each 1% reduction in serum cholesterol there is an equivalent 1% risk reduction in coronary heart disease².

Cholesterol is a fat-soluble, waxy substance that is produced naturally in the liver and found within our blood vessels. It plays a vital role in animal life; every cell of our body needs cholesterol to form rigid cell membranes to keep wastes and toxins out while letting nutrients and hormones in. Our bodies also use cholesterol to produce various hormones.

However, too much cholesterol can have an adverse effect on the heart and arteries when it builds up to form a plaque, which over time can lead to atherosclerosis. This condition forms when blood vessels narrow leading in turn to increased blood pressure placing strain on the heart.

 

The Good and Bad Cholesterol

In the UK, medical opinion is that an adult's cholesterol level should ideally be less than 5.0mmol/l. Patients with diabetes or a family history of heart disease, should aim to have a lower level³. Apart from making cholesterol, your liver also produces two main carrier molecules, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which bind with cholesterol to carry it through the bloodstream.

LDL carries cholesterol out to all body tissues for various metabolic functions such as production and repair of cell membranes and also hormone production. However, the downside with LDL is that it also tends to attach to damaged artery linings, causing cholesterol to accumulate, narrowing the arteries and blocking blood flow, earning LDL cholesterol the name bad cholesterol. Damaged artery linings are primarily caused by smoking, excess alcohol intake, rancid fats and nutrient deficiency.

HDL on the other hand carries surplus cholesterol from body tissues back to the liver, where it is broken down and passed out of the body. HDL cholesterol is therefore often referred to as good cholesterol.

The ideal readings for LDL and HDL recommended by doctors are below 3mmol/l for LDL and above 1mmol/l for HDL.

 

The Portfolio Diet - eating your way to lower cholesterol

The right combination of foods can make a difference.

The Portfolio Diet is a new approach to lowering cholesterol. It involves a combination of plant sterols/stanols, almonds, soluble fibre and soya protein combined with regular physical activity. These specific portfolio foods might already be part of your diet if you are following a healthy balanced diet, which includes a wide variety of foods like nuts, vegetables and complex carbohydrates. All these foods can help to lower or maintain low cholesterol levels. The key to this dietary approach is to incorporate the four foods into each meal of the day.

Charity HEART UK's recommendations for the Portfolio foods are as follows⁴: 

• Plant sterols and/or stanols: 2g daily 
  • Plant sterols and stanols are naturally found in plant foods such as soyabeans, corn, vegetable oils and grains but the 2g needed on a daily basis for this diet is only achievable by eating sterol and/or stanol enriched foods. For example, BENECOL^® does plant stanol enriched spreads, yogurts and drinks, which could contribute to your daily intake. It actively blocks cholesterol absorption from the gut into bloodstream and studies have shown that it helps to lower LDL cholesterol by up to 14% when the recommended amount is consumed daily and as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
• Almonds: 30g (about 23 almonds) daily
  • Almonds are a good source of vegetable protein, fibre, monounsaturated fats and vitamin E.
• Soluble fibre: 10-25g daily
  • Are found naturally in oats/oatmeal/oat bran, barley, beans, pulses and fruits.
• Soya protein: 50g daily. 
  • Soya is a good source of vegetable protein, fibre and is low in saturated fat.

Evidence from clinical trials have shown that the Portfolio Diet can help lower cholesterol levels by up to 25% if followed correctly⁴. An example of a typical meal plan of The Portfolio Diet is shown below:  

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks and Sweet Treats
Whole oat porridge with soya milk and chopped fruits and nuts	Bean soup	Tofu and mixed vegetables stir fry	Fruits, almonds, nuts, oatcakes with hummus
A slice of soya bread with a 12g serving plant stanol enriched margarine	Rice salad with mixed vegetables, tofu and a light salad dressing   Fruit	Fruit	Oat and almond crumble with soya custard and soya yogurts/desserts

For more information about diet and cholesterol please ring us on our dedicated HCP care line number 0800 028 8988 or for more information on how plant stanol esters helps lowering cholesterol and to download healthy fact sheets please visit www.benecol.co.uk

References

1.    British Heart Foundation Statistics - Mortality (2008) http://www.heartstats.org
2.    Scott M. Grundy; James I. Cleeman; C. Noel Bairey Merz; H. Bryan Brewer, Jr; Luther T. Clark; Donald B. Hunninghake*; Richard C. Pasternak; Sidney C. Smith, Jr; Neil J. Stone; for the Coordinating Committee of the National Cholesterol Education Program. Implications of Recent Clinical Trials for the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III Guidelines. JACC 2004; 44(3): 720-732
3.    Laker MF. Cardiovascular disease prevention: the new Joint British Societies' guidelines. Joint British Societies. 2006
4.    H.E.A.R.T UK - The Nation's Cholesterol Charity http://www.heartuk.org.uk
 

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