Can you prevent diseases by cutting back on meat? 

Diet and exercise habits play a major role in the risk of developing cardiovascular health problems. Most people are also well aware that high cholesterol can be harmful to your health, but fortunately, there are ways you can take steps to manage it yourself.

Diet and cholesterol are linked

High cholesterol can be caused by a variety of factors, but hereditary factors, diet, and exercise habits can often influence cholesterol levels in either a positive or negative way.
This also means that making changes to diet and exercise habits can have a significant impact. A new Danish study has examined exactly what we eat and how this affects cholesterol.

The study is a meta-analysis, which means it synthesizes existing findings from other studies; in this case, it includes 30 other studies. The study found that vegetarian and vegan diets were associated with reduced levels of the types of cholesterol known as “bad” cholesterol (including LDL and triglycerides) in the blood compared to a diet that includes meat.

Dietary guidelines as a guide

One approach to diet could be to try to follow the official dietary guidelines.
If you do this, you will meet your body’s nutritional needs, which will help reduce the risk of disease.

The 7 dietary guidelines are as follows:

• Eat plenty of vegetables, keep your diet varied, and don't overeat
• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Eat less meat—choose legumes and fish
• Eat whole-grain foods
• Choose vegetable oils and low-fat dairy products
• Eat less sugar, salt, and fat
• Quench your thirst with water.

Cholesterol tests are always included in a health checkup at Acture, so this can also be a good way to identify potential risks before they develop.