Yes, specific Flora products, particularly Flora ProActiv, are designed to lower cholesterol because they are enriched with plant sterols, natural substances that block cholesterol absorption, with about 2g daily proven to reduce it significantly as part of a healthy diet. Regular Flora spreads, however, don't contain these added plant sterols and are not specifically for cholesterol reduction, focusing more on being lower in saturated fat than butter.
Flora ProActiv foods are suitable if you need to lower or actively manage your cholesterol levels. * You can eat them if you're using cholesterol lowering medication, like statins.
Flora ProActiv is enriched with natural plant sterols to lower cholesterol. Just 25g (1 rounded tablespoon) is needed each day to provide 2g of plant sterols to lower cholesterol in as little as three weeks as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Flora is a delicious combination of carefully chosen plant-based oils which are cholesterol free, with naturally occurring omega 3 & 6 and a combination of vitamins (A, D & E). Flora delivers the same buttery taste but with 60% less saturated fat and free from trans fats unlike butter.
Margarine has a healthy fat profile, since it is high in unsaturated fat and lower in saturated fat than butter, which can help lower blood cholesterol levels.
Which spread is better for my heart — butter or margarine? Margarine often tops butter when it comes to heart health. Margarine is a blend of oils that are mostly unsaturated fat. Butter is made from cream or milk.
Try to eat more:
Best margarine to lower cholesterol
Brands like Benecol and Flora ProActiv are well-known for supporting heart health. Choose spreads made with canola, soybean, or sunflower oil, which are rich in unsaturated fats. Select soft tub margarines over stick versions to avoid trans fats and excess saturated fat.
People with high cholesterol may have a higher risk of certain conditions and diseases such as atherosclerosis, stroke, and heart attack. Butter is high in calories and fat, so people should eat it in moderation or replace it with healthy unsaturated fats.
Xuezhikang was the most commonly used herbal formula investigated. A significant effect on total cholesterol (two trial, 254 participants) was shown in favor of Xuezhikang when compared with inositol nicotinate (mean difference (MD) ‐0.90 mmol/L, 95% confidence interval (CI) ‐1.13 to ‐0.68) .
Cholesterol Lowering Spreads
Substitute butter with healthier oils.
Out of all the building blocks, saturated fat tends to be converted most efficiently into cholesterol. “Butter is essentially pure saturated fat,” says Dr. Bhattacharya. Tropical plant-based oils, such as coconut oil and palm oil, also have a significant amount.
Exercise on most days of the week and increase your physical activity. Exercise can improve cholesterol. Moderate physical activity can help raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol.
Give cheese on toast a miss and instead use sliced or mashed avocado to top wholegrain toast or crumpets. This quick snack is rich in unsaturated, rather than saturated, fats. Try a sprinkle of seeds or chilli flakes for an extra kick. Read more from our dietitian about avocados and fat.
There's a lot of conflicting information about saturated fats. Should I eat them or not? The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fats to less than 6% of total calories. Saturated fats are found in butter, cheese, red meat, other animal-based foods and tropical oils.
Plant sterols/ stanols and cholesterol
Over 50 clinical studies have proven that the plant sterols in Flora ProActiv significantly lower cholesterol. Flora ProActiv spreads and drinks contain plant sterols which are natural substances that have powerful cholesterol reducing properties.
Benecol. Benecol is another standout margarine that contains plant sterols, which are known for their cholesterol-lowering properties. This margarine provides around 60 calories per serving and has less than 1 gram of saturated fat.
Spreadable or Whipped Butter
Whipped butter has air whipped into it, making it more spreadable. The addition of air means it has 45% less fat per serving than regular butter, or about 4.5 grams of saturated fat. Both of these options can be great choices if you're trying to lower your saturated fat intake.
To remove cholesterol from your body, adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle by eating more soluble fiber (oats, beans, fruits) and healthy fats (olive oil, fish), exercising regularly (30 mins most days), losing excess weight, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol, as these changes lower bad LDL cholesterol and raise good HDL cholesterol, with some people needing medication for more severe cases.
Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods
Oatmeal has soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears.
Other medicines may be used if statins do not work or you do not want to take statins. These include: other tablets – such as ezetimibe, fibrates, bile acid sequestrants (also called resins) and bempedoic acid. injections – such as alirocumab, evolocumab and inclisiran.
Flora. Flora mainly produces plant-based spreads made from oils like sunflower, rapeseed, and palm. These spreads often contain emulsifiers, stabilisers, and added flavouring, which means many of Flora's products are classified as ultra-processed.
In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) recently updated its recommendations for heart-healthy eating based on the results of two recent research studies on eating more plant-based food choices. Their conclusion? Plant-based diets can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease at any age.
Even though butter is a better choice over margarine, people who are overweight or obese are often advised not to consume butter. For such people, margarine with low or no trans fat is sometimes considered to be the best option, since it may prevent increases in blood cholesterol level and heart disease.
Oats and other whole grains such as barley and brown rice contain fiber that can help reduce your “bad” cholesterol known as LDL. Consider a hearty and delicious bowl of oatmeal to start your day and be sure to opt for whole grain breads and pasta too. 2. Omega-3 fatty acids.