Health
Blood
Cholesterol
Although
a diet high in saturated fat is the main cause of high blood
cholesterol levels, high cholesterol in the diet can also
raise blood cholesterol levels. Usually the effect is twice
as bad, because foods high in cholesterol are usually high
in saturated fat.
Which
Foods Contain Cholesterol?
Only animal foods contain cholesterol - plant foods do not.
In animals, as in humans, cholesterol is a part of all cells
and serves many vital functions. Therefore, foods of animal
origin - such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or milk - all
contain some cholesterol.
Generally,
foods high in animal fat are also high in cholesterol. Two
exceptions to this generalisation are liver and eggs, which
are not high in fat but are high in cholesterol.
Liver
contains large amounts of cholesterol because the liver is
the body organ that makes cholesterol.
Eggs contain
large amounts of cholesterol because they contain the nutrients
and other substances to support a growing embryo (eggs also
contain a very high quality of protein and are rich in vitamins
and minerals).
How
Much Cholesterol Is Too Much?
Health experts recommend that you eat less than 300 milligrams
of cholesterol daily.
An average
man eats about 360 milligrams of cholesterol daily.
An average
woman eats about 240 milligrams of cholesterol daily.
What counts
is your daily average over time, not your exact total each
day. If you eat scrambled eggs for breakfast on Saturday but
eat lean meats, poultry, and fish, along with liberal servings
of fruits, vegetables, and grains the rest of the week, your
daily average is likely to be below 300 milligrams.
Different
Types of Cholesterol
There are different types of cholesterol - and not all cholesterol
is harmful.
Low-density
lipoprotein (or LDL) cholesterol is a bad type of cholesterol
that is most likely to clog blood vessels, increasing your
risk for heart disease.
High-density
lipoprotein (or HDL) cholesterol is a good type of cholesterol.
HDL cholesterol helps clear the LDL cholesterol out of the
blood and reduces your risk for heart disease.
Facts
about Cholesterol |
*
Lowering your cholesterol level has a double payback:
For every one percent you lower your blood cholesterol
level, you reduce your risk for heart disease by two
percent.
*
Even if you already have heart disease, lowering your
cholesterol levels will significantly reduce your risk
for death and disability.
*
As blood cholesterol exceeds 220 ml/dl (milligrams per
decilitre, which are the units in which blood cholesterol
is measured in the United States), risk for heart disease
increases at a more rapid rate.
*
All adults should have their blood cholesterol level
measured at least once every five years.
*
The liver makes most of the cholesterol in our bodies-only
a small percentage comes from food. But the more saturated
fat we eat, the more cholesterol our bodies make.
*
Most people can bring down their blood cholesterol levels
without medication by changing the way they eat and
by becoming more active.
*
Only animal foods contain cholesterol; plant foods do
not contain cholesterol.
*
A medium egg contains about 213 milligrams of cholesterol,
a three-ounce portion of lean red meat or skinless chicken
contains about 90 milligrams of cholesterol, and a three-ounce
portion of fish contains about 50 milligrams of cholesterol.
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Source:
YahooHealth
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thedailystar.net 2004
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