With elevated LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or "bad" cholesterol being one of the most significant risk factors for CVD, tackling it with a balanced diet could help make a difference to cholesterol levels.
This week marks the start of National Cholesterol Month, with charity Heart UK highlighting the importance of a healthy diet alongside keeping active, stopping smoking and accessing medical treatment to lower cholesterol.
Boosting fibre intake by eating more fruit and vegetables such as prunes can play a key role, with the California Prune Board highlighting recent studies showing the beneficial effects prunes can have on heart health:
- A 2024 study revealed how prunes may help to reduce belly fat and the risk for cardiovascular disease. The research, published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that eating 100 g of prunes daily may help prevent changes in fat distribution around the central region of the body, especially belly fat. The increase of belly fat is common in postmenopausal women and, when excessive, can be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Research published in the Journal of Medicinal Food in 2021 revealed that postmenopausal women who ate 50–100 g of prunes daily during a 6-month period reduced their levels of total cholesterol, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers - risk factors for cardiovascular disease - when compared with a group that did not include prunes in their diet.
- In 2023, a research abstract presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual conference showed how, in a small group of older men, long-term prune consumption improved HDL (good) cholesterol and the total cholesterol to HDL ratio, while decreasing oxidative stress and the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein.
Esther Ritson-Elliott, Director of International Marketing and Communications for the California Prune Board, explains: “According to Heart UK, cutting down on saturated fat and boosting fibre can help lower cholesterol. As a simple and portable snack and versatile ingredient, the nutritious benefits of California Prunes can play a key role in supporting that."
“With research showing the positive effects prunes can have on heart health as well as gut and bone health, we want to showcase California Prunes as a naturally sweet and juicy alternative to processed foods, with the added benefit of being high in fibre, free from fat and a source of other important nutrients.”
