Adding rapeseed oil to the diet may lower the cholesterol and blood fat levels of patients who have had high cholesterol from birth.

The metabolic condition, known as familial hypercholesterolemia, affects around 60,000 Britons. It can lead to an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis or furring up of the arteries, and heart disease.

The oil can cut levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides – blood fat levels – by up to 29 per cent after just five months.

In an Austrian trial, children aged six to 18 with the condition ate a classic low-fat, lowcholesterol diet enriched with the oil. In the first two months they took an average of 15g a day, going up to 22g a day for the last three months.

Rapeseed oil contains half the saturated fat of oils such as olive oil.

It is also high in unsaturated fats, which helps reduce cholesterol levels.

• Drinking at least three cups of tea every day could improve the life expectancy of people with heart disease.

In a study at Harvard University, researchers found that drinking two or more cups of tea a day was linked to a 44 per cent lower risk of premature death in patients who’d suffered a heart attack.

It’s thought that tea – specifically compounds called polyphenols – has a beneficial effect on the lining of the arteries. In a new trial, researchers will use MRI scans of tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers to assess any changes in the state of their arteries.

Via www.dailymail.co.uk