LOWER CHOLESTEROL

1. ARTICHOKE

One cooked artichoke heart has a significant amount of soluble fibre – important for lowering cholesterol. “Soluble fibre forms a gel-like substance that binds with cholesterol in your gut, which helps you excrete it,” explains Woolfe. Research shows adding an extra 5g to 10g of soluble fibre (equivalent to two artichokes) in your daily diet can lower cholesterol by 5 per cent.

2. WHOLE OATS

Old-fashioned oats are a rich source of a kind of soluble fibre called beta glucans. “Think of beta glucans as long strands that tangle as they move,” says Daniel Gallaher, a food and nutrition scientist. These strands ‘catch’ cholesterol as they exit your body so it’s not absorbed.

3. SESAME OIL

This nutty oil is rich in heart-healthy compounds called phytosterols. “These plant sterols help lower blood-cholesterol levels by blocking the absorption of it in your gut,” Woolfe says. E