Doctor Karan Rajan Recommends 4 Budget Foods to Cut High Cholesterol

Q: How does your gut health unlock the cholesterol-lowering power of beans and lentils?

Your gut microbiome is a key part of why beans and lentils can help lower cholesterol. Their fermentable fibres act as prebiotics, feeding beneficial gut bacteria, which then produce short-chain fatty acids such as acetate, propionate and butyrate. These compounds help suppress cholesterol production in the liver and reduce inflammation, both of which support healthier blood lipid levels. Beans and lentils also contain soluble fibre that works more directly in the gut. When it mixes with water, it forms a gel-like substance that can bind bile acids and some cholesterol in the digestive tract, helping carry them out of the body. Because bile is made from cholesterol, the liver must draw more LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, from the bloodstream to replace what is lost. Their plant protein may add another benefit. Evidence cited in the broader research suggests plant proteins can increase LDL receptor activity, which helps the body clear more LDL from circulation. Some studies also indicate that a fibre- and plant-protein-rich diet encourages the growth of gut microbes linked to better cholesterol metabolism and fatty-acid breakdown in the liver. In practical terms, gut health “unlocks” the benefit because the better your gut microbes can ferment the fibres in beans and lentils, the more of these helpful metabolites they produce. That means the cholesterol-lowering effect is not just about the food itself, but also about how your gut processes it.

3 articles · Updated · RSVP Live · Jun 12

Four low-cost staples — berries, seeds, beans and lentils, and oats — are the foods Doctor Karan Rajan says he would keep at home after a high-cholesterol diagnosis.
Rajan says they work through different mechanisms: berries' polyphenols may support cholesterol excretion, seeds' healthy fats can reduce absorption, beans and lentils' fermentable fibre may curb liver cholesterol production, and oats' beta-glucan helps remove LDL.
High cholesterol can raise the risk of serious complications including stroke, and common drivers include fatty diets, inactivity, excess weight, smoking and alcohol use.
The advice frames diet as a budget-friendly management tool, with the four foods grouped as options that may lower LDL by reducing absorption, increasing elimination and limiting inflammation.