Dee Sargeant
If you’ve typed ‘how to lower your cholesterol’ into Google recently, you’re in very busy company. In the past month alone, more than 452,000 people in the UK have asked the same question, as a recent Heart UK study found almost half of UK adults are now walking around with high cholesterol levels.
With searches for ‘how to improve heart health’ also spiking and February serving as National Heart Month, it’s fair to say the nation’s arteries are having a bit of an identity crisis.
Into the fray steps Dr Nikita Patel, Head of Propositions at AXA Health insurance, with a refreshingly simple gameplan: ten small, realistic changes you can make in everyday life that genuinely support cardiovascular health – and go a long way towards that nagging question of how to lower your cholesterol.
Four Food Swaps Your Heart Will Thank You For
Before you start imagining a life of limp lettuce and joyless rice cakes, Dr Patel’s first message is reassuring: this is about smart choices, not culinary punishment. With searches for ‘best cholesterol-lowering foods’ up more than 130% in a month, people clearly want specifics – and she has them.
1. Eat Oily Fish Twice A Week
Dr Patel doesn’t mince her words on this one.
“Oily fish, such as mackerel, sardines, fresh tuna and salmon, are an excellent source of omega-3 fats, which can help protect your heart against disease. Omega-3 fats can help protect the heart and blood vessels from disease, helping to improve circulation, prevent blood clots and lower blood pressure.”
If you’re wondering how to lower cholesterol without living on salad, this is a pretty tasty place to start: fish pie, salmon traybakes, or grilled sardines – your arteries will be applauding politely from the inside.
2. Make Friends With Whole Grains
White bread might feel like an old friend, but your heart prefers its more wholesome cousins.
“Whole grains, such as oats, rye and brown rice can help to lower cholesterol, support weight management and improve glycaemic control, making it a possible key to better heart health.”
Think porridge, oat-based cereals, brown rice bowls and rye toast. Not glamorous, but then neither is a blocked artery.
3. Go Nuts (And Seeds) For Your Heart
Nuts and seeds are the quiet overachievers of the snack world, and chia seeds in particular get Dr Patel’s seal of approval.
“Chia seeds are also great for heart health as part of a healthy, balanced diet. They can be a healthy source of fibre, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain calcium, magnesium, and antioxidants.
These seeds can help stabilise blood sugar, improve digestion, and support heart health. Chia seeds can be easily incorporated into smoothies, yoghurt, or used as an egg substitute in baking.”
In other words, you don’t need a complicated ‘superfood’ regime – just start throwing a spoonful of the stuff into what you’re already eating.
4. Say No To Hidden Salt
You might not be salting everything like a 1970s TV chef, but salt is sneaky.
“To maintain healthy blood pressure, adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day. Salt can already be found in some of the foods we eat, such as bread and breakfast cereals.”
If you’re serious about how to lower cholesterol and protect your heart, the real work often happens in the supermarket aisle: check labels, go easy on processed foods, and don’t automatically reach for the salt shaker.
Three Lifestyle Tweaks That Cut Heart Disease Risk
Diet is only half the story. The way you live – and the habits you repeat every day – can either fan the flames or calm things down.
5. Stub Out Smoking
Straight to the point: “Smoking is one of the main causes of coronary heart disease, as nicotine raises your heart rate and blood pressure, which puts extra strain on your heart and blood vessels. After a year of giving up, your risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker.”
If you’re looking at how to lower cholesterol and protect your heart, quitting smoking is the single biggest swing you can take. It’s not glamorous, it’s not easy, but it’s brutally effective.
6. Cut Back On Saturated Fat – Not All Fat
Fat has picked up a terrible reputation over the years, but Dr Patel is keen to set the record straight.
“Making small changes to your diet can have positive health benefits. Choose semi-skimmed over full-fat milk and leaner cuts of meat. Try steaming or grilling food rather than frying.”
That doesn’t mean living in fear of fat altogether.
“However, fat shouldn’t be avoided; it’s an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. Fat is one of the three macronutrients that are essential for a balanced diet – the other two are protein and carbohydrates.”
The trick is knowing your types: “There are unsaturated fats, saturated fats and trans fats. As a very general rule, you should avoid trans fats, limit saturated fats and aim to eat unsaturated fats, which are considered more beneficial to your health.”
And the good stuff?
“Unsaturated fats are in foods such as oily fish and nuts, and seeds and can improve your blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation and blood pressure.”
So yes, you can keep your avocado toast and nut butters. You just might want to think twice about the daily deep-fried everything.
7. Manage Your Weight, Not Just Your Waistline
This isn’t about fitting into last year’s jeans; it’s about risk.
“Being overweight can increase your risk of heart disease. Stick to a well-balanced diet that is rich in variety and high in fruit and vegetables. Combine with plenty of physical activity to maximise benefits.”
If you’re plotting how to lower cholesterol over the long term, slow and steady weight management – through realistic eating and regular movement – is far more effective than any crash diet.
Just 150 Minutes A Week: Move More, Live Longer
No, you don’t have to sign up for an Ironman. Regular, moderate exercise is one of the most powerful tools you have for heart health and cholesterol control.
Dr Patel is clear: the best exercises for your heart aren’t necessarily the most brutal; they’re the ones you can keep doing week after week – the sort that raise your heart rate but still let you hold a conversation without sounding like a broken accordion.
8. Cycling – The Two-Wheeled Heart Tonic
“Cycling is a great way to increase your physical health and reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Research from Patient Info* shows that 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week, such as cycling, reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 50% and may reduce cancer risk.* Moderate means you should feel an increase in breathing and warmth, but still be able to talk comfortably”
Hop on a bike a few times a week and you’re not just burning calories – you’re actively coaching your heart into better form.
9. Running – The Classic Heart Workout
If you’re able to run, even in short bursts, your heart will notice.
“Running is good for your heart as it is known to reduce blood pressure, lower BMI and cholesterol levels”
And it doesn’t stop there.
“Doing exercise such as running helps the circulation as it strengthens the heart, improves circulation and helps control blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease”
Whether it’s a steady 5k or a walk-jog around the park, running is a direct answer to that question of how to lower cholesterol and keep it there.
10. Swimming – Gentle On Joints, Tough On Risk
If pounding pavements isn’t your thing, the pool is your friend.
“Swimming is a great low-impact cardiovascular exercise which also strengthens the heart, allowing it to pump blood better..”
For anyone with high blood pressure or existing heart concerns, there is one important caveat:
“If you have high blood pressure, avoid any exercise such as weightlifting or powerlifting. It’s always worth checking with your GP before starting new exercise if you have high blood pressure, especially if it’s uncontrolled or you’re on multiple medications. Moderate exercise such as walking, swimming or cycling is generally safe and can still support heart health..”
The Bottom Line: Small Swings, Big Wins
When you zoom out, how lowering your cholesterol stops looking like a medical mystery and starts to resemble something much more manageable: a series of small, sensible decisions repeated over time.
- Swap in oily fish, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
- Watch the salt, trim the saturated fat, and don’t fear the right kinds of fat.
- Move your body regularly with cycling, running or swimming – at a pace you can sustain.
- Keep an eye on your weight and, if you smoke, give your heart the best gift imaginable and quit.
None of this is dramatic. There’s no miracle pill, no magic smoothie. But if you put these ten changes into regular rotation, your heart – quietly ticking away in the background – might just reward you with many more good years than you ever thought to Google for.
