Regular fitness training can help to reduce cholesterol levels, according to new research.

A recent study in the Journal of Lipid Research suggests that exercise as a lifestyle change may help to lower cholesterol naturally.

However, scientists found that exercise may affect cholesterol differently, depending on the patient's race and gender.

Study participants were followed over nine years, with an extra hour of mild exercise or half hour of moderate exercise per week found to be associated with an increase in high-density lipoprotein, or good cholesterol.

But low-density lipoprotein, the bad cholesterol, dropped only in women, and total cholesterol dropped only in African-American women.

The benefit of a healthy diet in reducing cholesterol has also been highlighted by researchers at the Professional Association of German Internists.

They found that proper lifestyle changes, such as taking more exercise and eating more healthily, usually lower cholesterol in just a few weeks, allowing many people to do without medication.