Within days, a combination of exercise and diet can improve how the liver manages cholesterol.
It can take about 3 to 12 weeks to lower cholesterol through diet alone.
Workouts that include both cardio and strength training may improve cholesterol levels in 4 to 8 weeks.
NEARLY 11 PERCENT of men have high total cholesterol, meaning they have too much fat in their blood. This puts them at risk for a whole bunch of severe health problems—from heart attack to stroke.
Several factors contribute to high cholesterol. There are the uncontrollable elements like the genes you’re born. But then there’s the stuff you can control, like diet and exercise.
If you’re unsure of your cholesterol levels, ask your doctor for a blood test called a lipid panel. The test measures levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, also often referred to as ‘bad’ cholesterol), high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or ‘good’ cholesterol), total cholesterol (a combo of LDL and HDL), and triglycerides. For men, an optimal LDL cholesterol should be less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), says Karishma Patwa, MD, a cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology in New York City.
No one wants to hear that their cholesterol is off the charts. Thankfully, because lifestyle choices greatly influence cholesterol levels, you can act now to lower it. Does this also mean you’ll quickly see changes to your cholesterol levels? Short answer, yes. But it’s complicated.
How Quickly Can You Lower Cholesterol with Diet and Exercise?
Fairly quickly. Dr. Patwa says your body does feel swift changes when you start exercising and make tweaks to your diet. The most immediate effects are in how the liver manages cholesterol.
“The right measures, including a healthy lifestyle, starts you in the right direction in days,” says Tariqshah Syed, MD, chief of cardiology and an interventional cardiologist at Holy Name Medical Center. However, Dr. Patwa says that depending on whether you prioritize diet or exercise, it can take several weeks to months before those changes are reflected in the blood cholesterol.
Making dietary changes alone
Reducing saturated fats, increasing your fiber intake, and limiting ultra-processed foods could lower your cholesterol levels within 3 to 12 weeks, Dr. Patwa says.
And not all fiber is created equal. Dr. Patwa is talking more about the soluble fiber that’s packed in whole grains, beans, and fruits. (Cereal and other manufactured products contain insoluble fiber and possibly other ultra-processed ingredients). Soluble fiber helps your digestive system from absorbing cholesterol, according to the National Library of Medicine. Aim for 10 to 25 grams of daily soluble fiber.
If you’re unsure of where to start, there are a number of heart-healthy diets shown to lower cholesterol levels. The Mediterranean diet is a popular option. It heavily focuses on plant-based options, healthy fats, and swapping out red meat for fish. A 25-year study found people who continue to follow the Mediterranean diet continuously have lower cholesterol levels along with a 23 percent lower risk of dying young.
The DASH diet is another alternative for people with high cholesterol. Unlike other diets, this one does not have a specific list of foods to eat. Instead, the DASH diet give nutritional goals to meet such as eating enough veggies, low-fat/fat-free products, whole grains, and fruits. It also recommends limiting foods high in saturated/trans fat and sugar-sweetened beverages. After 8 weeks, one trial found people on the DASH diet showed improved HDL levels and lowered their 10-year risk of plaque buildup by 8.8 percent compared to people who adopted a fruit and vegetable only diet.
If you don’t want to fully commit to a specific diet, we’ve compiled a list of 15 foods cardiologists recommend for cutting LDL cholesterol levels.
Focusing only on exercise
If you’re solely focused on lowering your cholesterol through exercise alone, Patwa says you can start to see changes in your cholesterol level within 3 to 12 weeks. Yes, the same amount of time it would take if you solely focused on improving your diet.
Dr. Syed says exercising helps because it gets the blood pumping to increases HDL, which is the good cholesterol. It is the HDL that helps clear up LDL particles before it has time to form dangerous plaques.
If you’re looking to take down cholesterol through exercise, there is one important caveat. Research on exercise and cholesterol has shown it is most effective when it is a moderate to high-intensity activity. That’s because you need to burn about 1,000 to 1,200 calories working out to change cholesterol levels, Neil Smart, PhD, professor in exercise and sports science at Australia’s University of New England told MH in a previous article.
Still, there are a lot of ways to structure your sessions. You can focus on longer sessions with low intensity or shorter sessions with high intensities. Smart says adding even an extra minute to a workout could increase HDL by 2 mg/dL over an average of 12 weeks. If you keep a consistent exercise routine that includes both cardio and strength training, your lipid numbers may improve sooner to 4 to 8 weeks.
Combining diet and exercise
Diet and exercise have an additive effect on cholesterol. Overall, Dr. Patwa says diet and exercise can lower LDL cholesterol by about 30 percent. Diet alone would lower it by 20 percent and exercise alone by 10 percent. “It is important to emphasize that a persistent healthy lifestyle yields the best result,” Dr. Syed says.
How Long Does It Take to Lower Cholesterol Through Medication?
There are some instances where men may still need to take medication to lower their cholesterol despite making lifestyle changes, says Dr. Patwa. This is recommended for men with LDL cholesterol over 190 mg/dL, a family history of coronary artery disease, and elevated calcium scores.
“Cholesterol changes after medication usually happen more quickly than lifestyle changes alone, as early as one week, with maximal benefits seen after approximately eight weeks,” she says. Still, Dr. Syed says a healthy diet and exercise regimen are recommended regardless of whether or not you take medication.
2 More Ways to Lower Cholesterol Levels
Diet and exercise are some of the best ways to naturally lower cholesterol levels. If you’re looking for more ways to keep your heart healthy, Dr. Patwa also advises taking a look at your cigarette smoking habit and alcohol intake.
Cigarette smoking has been linked to higher LDL levels and lower HDL levels. While the research is still unclear, it is theorized that smoking may affect how cholesterol is transported in the bloodstream. Additionally, smoking can damage the lining of blood vessels, which can further increase risk for future heart problems. Research on alcohol has shown mixed results on how it impacts cholesterol levels. More clearly, drinking over 30 grams (more than 2 standard drinks) daily is linked to the most negative effects on cholesterol and the heart.
Erica Sweeney is a writer who mostly covers health, wellness and careers. She has written for The New York Times, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Parade, Money, Business Insider and many more.
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, MS is the associate health & fitness for Men’s Health and has previously written for CNN, Scientific American, Popular Science, and National Geographic before joining the brand. When she’s not working, she’s doing circus arts or working towards the perfect pull-up.
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