This Morning: Liz Earle discusses supplements for hair loss
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It may also be possible to do so through supplements, such as activated charcoal.
One study, published in the Lancet in 1986, found that taking 24 grams of activated charcoal every day for four weeks could lower bad cholesterol by a quarter and increase levels of high cholesterol by eight percent.
Similar studies have found similar results.
One caveat to this data is that the bulk of the data is from the 1980s and so more contemporary research is needed.
Producers of activated charcoal claim there are other benefits to the supplement that is created by exposing finely ground charcoal to heat and oxygen, changing its chemical composition.
It differs from barbecue charcoal that is toxic if ingested.
Side effects of activated charcoal can include:
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Black faeces
• Constipation.
Should activated charcoal not become a preferred method of lowering cholesterol, the NHS has a number of tips on how to lower cholesterol.
Eating food that doesn’t contain high levels of saturated fat is on the list.
Information on how much saturated fat is in your food is available on the packaging.
Furthermore, eating less meat pies, sausages, fatty meat, butter, lard, ghee, cream, hard cheese, and biscuits are suggested as foods to avoid.
As well as information about what to avoid, the NHS also recommends foods to include in your diet to boost levels of good (HDL) cholesterol.
The health provider recommends oily fish such as mackerel and salmon alongside brown rice, bread, and pasta.
Additionally, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables are also recommended to improve cholesterol levels.
Exercise is the other main facilitator of fixing the amount of cholesterol in your system.
The NHS says you should aim to do at least “two-and-a-half hours of exercise a week”.
Lifestyle changes such as increasing the amount of exercise one does helps cholesterol levels.
Quitting smoking and reducing the amount of alcohol consumed are both effective.
It is advised to reduce consumption of alcohol to less than than 14 units a week, or the equivalent of around six small glasses of wine.
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