Professor Tim Spector, a leading nutrition expert and founder of the ZOE diet app, has shared a simple kitchen hack that could significantly reduce cholesterol levels. The trick involves letting chopped onion and garlic sit for 10 minutes before cooking, which preserves a key enzyme that helps produce a cholesterol-lowering compound.
Spector explained that the enzyme mirosinase, which is destroyed by heat, is essential for activating sulforaphane—a chemical found in onion, garlic, cabbage, and broccoli. By allowing these vegetables to rest before cooking, the sulforaphane becomes 'activated' and survives the cooking process, improving glucose control and cholesterol levels.
The professor also recommended eating salads or other vegetables as a starter, 10 minutes before a carbohydrate-rich meal, to reduce blood sugar spikes and keep you fuller for longer. He advised incorporating fermented foods like kimchi and using vinegar in salad dressings to stabilise blood sugar levels.
Additional tips included swapping processed stock cubes for miso paste, cooking tomatoes in extra-virgin olive oil to boost nutrient absorption, and choosing full-fat Greek yoghurt with nuts, seeds, and berries over sugary cereals. Spector emphasised the importance of eating 30 different plants per week to support gut microbiome diversity, which helps fight infections and regulate appetite.
