Written by:
Eliezer Archange, RD, LD/N
Nutrition Consulting
Services LLC
President/Founder
05/25/2015
Dietary Cholesterol & Your
Health: Is There a Connection?
No point to say that the comments on the Scientific Report of
the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has been confusing for many
people. For a long time, we have told
that a high cholesterol diet can lead to high serum cholesterol in the blood
and that people suffering hypercholesterolemia and other cardiovascular
diseases were supposed to be on a low fat/low cholesterol diet. On May 8, 2015, the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics published the following statement: “The Academy supports the decision
by the 2015 DGAC not to carry forward previous recommendations that cholesterol
intake be limited to no more than 300 mg/day, as <available evidence shows
no appreciable relationship between consumption of dietary cholesterol and
serum cholesterol.” What does that mean
to you? Is there any connection between high cholesterol diet and your health?
What is Cholesterol & Why Do We
Need It?
Cholesterol
is a fat-like substance that is found in our cells and some of the foods that
we eat. Even though most people think of
cholesterol only in a negative way, cholesterol actually plays a very important
role in the functioning of the body.
Cholesterol helps with the production of hormones, the creation of bile
for digestive purpose, and acts as building blocks for our cells.
They are
carried throughout our body with the help of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), also referred to as bad cholesterol
and high-density lipoproteins (HDL),
and known as “good cholesterol.”
LDL vs. HDL
As noted by
the American Heart Association, “Excess
level of LDL cholesterol can form plaque between layers of the artery
walls, making it harder for your heart to circulate blood. Plaque can break
open and cause blood clots. If a clot blocks an artery that feeds the brain, it
causes a stroke. If it blocks an artery that feeds the heart, it causes a heart
attack.”
HDL, however, carries cholesterol from other parts of
your body back to your liver to be removed from the body. An epidemiological study, published by the
University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine, links HDL function with lower
risk of later heart disease. . It is, thus, very important that you know
your total cholesterol, your LDL, and HDL cholesterols
Dietary Cholesterol and High Blood
Cholesterol
According to
several studies, contrary to what was previously believed, eating
cholesterol-rich foods has little to no impact on the levels of blood cholesterol.
As mentioned in our introduction, DGAC
has recommended that the limits on dietary cholesterol to be removed from the
upcoming 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
As pointed out by Dr. Nissen, only 20 percent of your blood cholesterol
levels come from your diet while 80% is produced by your liver. The biggest influence on blood cholesterol
level is the mix of fats and
carbohydrates in your diet—not the amount of cholesterol you eat from food
(Harvard University, School of Public Health).
Tips to Choosing Foods with Healthy
Fats
·
Use
Olive, canola, and other plant-based oils for cooking and baking
·
Identify
and avoid trans-fat
·
Increase
omega-3 in your diet such as salmon, tuna, walnuts, canola or soybean oil, or
flaxseed oil
·
Select
and eat lean meat
·
Avoid
diet high in refined carbohydrates
Reference:
For more
information, please visit Nutrition Consulting Services LLC at http://www.nutritionconsultingservices.com
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