According to Dr. David J. A. Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, the study's lead author, eating four cholesterol-lowering foods can effectively cut cholesterol levels.
Dr. Jenkins says, "We're hoping to make cholesterol control within the grasp of the average person more than it has been."
"The advice that's been offered so far has left many people with no option other than to take a statin."
Jenkin's study appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, where he notes the only side effect seen so far is "mild weight loss."
According to Jenkins, 66 people with high cholesterol ate seven servings of foods containing viscous fiber, seven servings of foods rich in soy protein, 5 teaspoons of margarine containing plant sterols; and 1.5 ounces of almonds.
According to Reuters, at 12 weeks, participants' level of "bad" (LDL) cholesterol had dropped by 14 percent. One year later, it remained 13 percent below pre-study levels. Just under one third of study participants had LDL cholesterol reductions greater than 20 percent.
