The 95% Problem: Is Your Doctor Missing the Fastest Way to Lower Cholesterol?

Heart disease is our number one killer, claiming over 900,000 lives in 2023 alone. And yet, the simplest, most effective first step toward prevention is being overlooked by almost everyone.

We recently commissioned a Harris Poll around diet and cholesterol, and the results are stunning:

• 94% of Americans don't know that diet alone can significantly lower cholesterol in just 30 days.

• Worse yet, 95% of physicians are also unaware of this rapid, proven capability of food.

This poll reveals what I would call a “systemic blind spot” in medicine’s approach to managing and preventing heart disease.

Pills vs. Plates: What Patients Really Want

The disconnect doesn't stop at knowledge; it extends to patient preference. The poll found that while most doctors assume patients prefer medication to lower their cholesterol, only 35% of patients would choose a prescription when given a diet-first option.

Why the confusion? Only a tiny fraction of medical schools require nutrition classes. 75% of medical schools require no nutrition education, and those that offer it spend under 20 hours, on average, on the topic.  In other words, the system is set up to prescribe, not prevent.

Bridging the Gap with a Proven Food-based Approach

Step One Foods was founded specifically to bridge this gap.

If you’re a customer, or a regular blog reader, you already know that all our foods deliver clinically meaningful amounts of plant sterols, fiber, and Omega-3s—the nutrients proven to lower LDL cholesterol—in every convenient, delicious whole food serving. Our program has been clinically validated in a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial led by the Mayo Clinic and the University of Manitoba to deliver measurable results in just one month.

So why don’t all doctors know this?

Why Your Doctor Likely Doesn’t Know about Step One Foods

As a practicing physician myself, I can vouch for the fact that keeping up with the latest research is challenging. We are inundated with it!  New scientific articles are published constantly across hundreds of journals – and that’s just for cardiology. Primary Care physicians have an even broader array of information sources to choose from. So, missing the study showing Step One Foods as being an effective adjunct to cholesterol lowering is… almost expected.  

But here’s another interesting data point from the Harris Poll: Nearly three in four physicians (74%) openly wish they had better tools to guide patients toward heart-healthy eating.  This means your doctor might be open to a food-first or food-also approach if they knew one existed.

What You Can Do

If you’ve wanted to try Step One Foods, but found your doctor was not receptive to a food-based approach, you could try bringing a copy of the published article for them to look at.  You can request a copy here.  

And you can let them know that your response can be measured objectively with a blood test, just like in the published study.  And that the two of you can then make the decision together as to whether this program is a good idea for you beyond the 30-60 day trial.  

Bottom Line

The interest in diet is there, and the science is settled.  Clinical research shows that the right combination of foods can significantly lower cholesterol in just 30 days. It’s a proven first step that should come before (or alongside) medication in every treatment plan. The fact that we don’t leverage this step is a true missed opportunity in the treatment and prevention of heart disease. 

We can do better.

BROWSE OUR CLINICALLY PROVEN FOODS

About Step One Foods: Step One Foods offers convenient, scientifically-formulated foods clinically validated to rapidly reduce cholesterol and improve cardiometabolic health. Real food. Real results. Unapologetically delicious. Learn more at steponefoods.com.