It’s always fun when modern research confirms what we already knew.
If you follow us, this won’t be a surprise: eating healthy may be the fastest way to lower cholesterol.
Shocking, right?
A new study done by Mayo Clinic and the University of Manitoba found eating a “Step One” Foods product twice per day effectively lowered cholesterol levels in just 30 days. The study is published in the Journal of Nutrition.
Step One is cardiologist-developed foods that contain whole-food ingredients explicitly chosen for their cholesterol-lowering properties.
The actual shocking part, though, is that this study is the first to clinically validate food as medicine.
Do they mean to tell us that food can be used as medicine to restore and heal our bodies?
Well, yes, of course! We’ve been saying it for years. Finally, it seems as though the medical community is starting to catch up with us!
High cholesterol affects slightly more than half the adults here in the States. Cholesterol is the leading factor in heart disease. So, that’s a major market of people still looking for a way to enjoy food and avoid medications with life-changing side effects.
With this method, maybe more citizens would have more options than the doctor-prescribed medicine some may be uneasy about.
Cardiologist and director of the Statin Intolerance Clinic at Mayo Clinic, Stephen Kopecky, M.D, FACC, said, “Based on the outcomes seen in our study, using this type of food as medicine approach expands the options for medical professionals and patients. Many patients who are unwilling or unable to take statin drugs may be able to help manage their high cholesterol or hyperlipidemia with a realistic food-based intervention.”
While the numbers vary (some people’s LDL levels dropped 9% some dropped 30%), this is excellent news for people who want to steer clear of synthetic medications.
But, if you’re not into the “clinically-formulated” snacks, you could always just go straight to whole foods, found in nature, made-by-God way of eating.
The “food as medicine” method has been around literally for millennia. It’s why God placed us in a Garden. However, if you’re looking to lower your cholesterol naturally and don’t happen to live in a lush garden, you can always head to your grocery store and get these cholesterol-lowering foods that are readily available:
- Steel Cut Oats.
- Legumes.
- Non-starchy vegetables.
- Nuts and seeds.
- Fruits.
- Soybeans, edamame, and tofu.
- Fish.
- Olive oil and avocados.
- Fatty fish
- Foods fortified with sterols and stanols.
- Fiber supplements
We know you know this. But, we thought we’d share the latest news.
Science has confirmed it:
“Food is medicine.”