This Morning's Dr Chris discusses the signs of high cholesterol
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Characterised by its absence of symptoms, high cholesterol can be difficult to spot. However, if this fatty substance builds up in your blood, it can trigger severe health problems. That’s why it’s important to keep your levels in check. And one way to do that is an easy dietary tweak.
Cholesterol details the total amount of the substance in your blood. This includes “good” and “bad” cholesterol.
“Bad” cholesterol is the culprit that can boost your risk of heart problems and stroke, the NHS explains.
However, there’s also the “good” one which can help you get rid of its “bad” counterpart.
The hot drink which can target the problematic one is black tea, a study reports.
A staple of comfort, black tea was investigated for its effects on cholesterol in a study published in the Journal of Nutrition.
The study looked at seven men and eight women with high cholesterol levels.
Apart from tea, they also included other beverages as a control to properly scrutinise the effects.
The control drink was prepared so it would match the tea’s colour and taste.
Later in the research, the team also added caffeine in an amount equal to the one in tea to this drink.
The participants followed the drink regimen for three weeks, enjoying five servings daily.
After, the study found that these five servings reduced total cholesterol by 6.5 percent.
When it comes to the “bad” cholesterol, the study saw a 11.1-percent drop.
The study concluded that including black tea in a diet, which is already moderately low in fat, can reduce total and “bad” cholesterol by “significant” amounts.
It also added that due to the cholesterol reduction, tea may also lower the risk of coronary heart disease.
However, one thing to consider is that this wasn’t a large-scale study as it only included 15 people.
In regards to heart health, different research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that black tea can also lower high blood pressure.
Similarly to high cholesterol, high reading can increase your risk of heart problems and strokes.
Plus, high blood pressure also doesn’t cause many symptoms.
However, both of these conditions can be confirmed by your GP.
High cholesterol is measured by a blood test, while blood pressure is measured by a device.
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