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High cholesterol: 'Monounsaturated fats help protect your heart' - foods to include

The American Heart Association (AHA) says oils that contain monounsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature but start to turn solid when chilled. The AHA notes olive oil is an example of a type of oil that contains monounsaturated fats. It explains: "Monounsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood which can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke."

The Mayo Clinic says monounsaturated fatty acids are a healthy type of fat.

It says replacing less healthy fats, such as saturated fats and trans fats, with unsaturated fats, may offer health benefits.

The NHS says: "Too much fat in your diet, especially saturated fats, can raise your cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease.

"Current UK government guidelines advise cutting down on all fats and replacing saturated fat with some unsaturated fat."

GETTY olive oil

The health body says a small amount of fat is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. Fat is a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make itself.

It says fat helps the body absorb vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E. These vitamins are fat-soluble, which means they can only be absorbed with the help of fats.

The NHS states: "Any fat that's not used by your body's cells or turned into energy is converted into body fat. Likewise, unused carbohydrates and proteins are also converted into body fat.

"All types of fat are high in energy. A gram of fat, whether it's saturated or unsaturated, provides 9kcal (37kJ) of energy compared with 4kcal (17kJ) for carbohydrate and protein."

The NHS says as part of a healthy diet, you should try to cut down on foods and drinks that are high in saturated fats and trans fats and replace some of them with unsaturated fats.

It explains that most people in the UK eat too much saturated fats. The Government recommends that:

• Men should not eat more than 30g of saturated fat a day
• Women should not eat more than 20g of saturated fat a day
• Children should have less.

The NHS outlines a number of other lifestyle changes you may be able to make to lower your cholesterol.

A key one is to cut down on alcohol. You should try to avoid drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week, and avoid binge drinking. You can ask your GP for help if you are struggling to cut down.

You might need medicine to lower your cholesterol if your cholesterol level has not gone down after changing your diet and lifestyle.

You may also need medicine if you're at a high risk of having a heart attack or stroke, according to the NHS.

© GETTY NUTS

If you're aged 40 to 74, you can get your cholesterol checked as part of an NHS Health Check.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) recommends all adults have a cholesterol check at any age, even if they feel completely well. It should be repeated every five years - or more often if the test was abnormal.

The cholesterol blood test measures your levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and your total cholesterol to HDL ratio.

Your total cholesterol should be 5mmol/L or less for healthy adults or 4mmol/L or less for those at high risk.

Reference: Daily Express:  Harriet Whitehead