Basics of nutrition·30 questions

Is dietary cholesterol harmful?

Answer

For a long time, it was believed that consuming foods rich in cholesterol directly leads to an increase in its level in the blood and increases the risk of heart disease. However, modern scientific research has proven that dietary cholesterol has a much smaller impact on blood cholesterol levels than previously thought. The human body's liver synthesizes the main part of this substance itself, and when cholesterol comes from the outside with food, this internal synthesis simply slows down.

Trans fats and excess saturated fats found in fast food, margarine, industrially produced baked goods, and semi-finished products pose a much greater danger to the cardiovascular system. It is these components that can negatively affect the blood lipid profile and lead to the formation of plaques in blood vessels. As for regular chicken eggs, which for a long time were undeservedly accused of raising cholesterol, doctors today allow eating them every day in moderate amounts without harm to health.

The overall pattern of diet and lifestyle carries much greater weight than the demonization or glorification of individual foods. To maintain optimal cholesterol levels and take care of your health, it is recommended to follow simple preventive measures. It is useful to perform the following actions for this:

Regularly take a lipid panel blood test to monitor total cholesterol, high-density, and low-density lipoproteins.
Minimize or completely eliminate the consumption of foods with a high trans fat content.
Add more sources of healthy unsaturated fats, such as marine fish, olive oil, avocado, and nuts, to your diet.

The individual reaction of the body to dietary cholesterol may vary due to genetic characteristics. Therefore, the main guide when drawing up a diet is the indicators of your medical tests and the recommendations of a specialized medical professional.

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