According to a new study reported by Reuters, older adults can significantly lower their cholesterol levels by decreasing their intake of dietary fat, even if they are already taking cholesterol-lowering medications.
Researchers in Australia conducted the study that followed adults 49 years and older for ten years. They found that those individuals who reduced the use of butter and other saturated fats from their diet showed a significant decrease in cholesterol levels, whether or not the people were taking statins to lower their cholesterol.
Participants in this study also showed a rise in HDL cholesterol, known as the "good" cholesteol, when their diet included additional portions of fish and omega 3-fatty acids. Omega 3-fatty acids are healthy, unsaturated fats typically found in fish such as salmon and mackerel.
According to lead researcher, Anette E. Buyken of the Research Institute of Child Nutrition in Dortmund, Germany, the findings of this study "imply that older adults can make a difference in their heart health by choosing good dietary fats."
Additional advantages to eating healthier include a decreased risk for age-related vision loss and dementia problems. The American Heart Association recommends that all adults limit their intake of saturated fats to less than 7 percent of their daily calories. The AHA also recommends adults should eat omega-3-rich fish twice per week.
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