If you take herbal supplements or a daily multivitamin, it may be because you are trying to improve your cardiovascular health, something that nearly all doctors strenuously emphasize. How many times do you think a physician would need to remind you about your cholesterol before you took their words to heart? Recently, scientists announced that “two” is the average answer.

A study conducted by public health experts at Canada’s St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto found that patients were able to lower their blood-lipid profiles after as few as two intensive doctor’s appointments that focused on reducing cholesterol.

The team asked participants to try improving their levels of LDL, or the so-called “bad” cholesterol, by eating nuts, plant sterols, soy proteins and fibrous foods – all of which are known to reduce cholesterol if eaten regularly along with a nutritious diet.

With one group of volunteers, researchers had two meeting on this subject. With another group, they held seven meetings. In both cases, participants enacted the doctors’ advice and ate LDL-lowering foods, improving their blood profiles.

Why did just two appointments do the trick?

“We’re seeing more and more people want to take their health into their own hands,” lead author David Jenkins explained.