Cholesterol in foods, or What do we eat?

Cholesterol deserves special attention and analysis of its effect on the body. Most people only know about the negative effect of this substance, believing that no cholesterol is good. However, this substance takes part in the construction of hormones (especially sexual) and many cells, in particular, nervous. Nevertheless, despite irreplaceable properties, cholesterol is produced by the liver, so even if you eat only plant food, you will not have problems with it.

Often there are problems with its excess. Therefore, you need to know how cholesterol gets to us in the body, and in what quantities. Often, cholesterol is contained in foods of animal origin in varying degrees. To analyze each product, you need to establish a daily rate of cholesterol for a person who is about 200-300 mg. So, for people under 30, this rate decreases to about 175 mg per 100 ml of blood. In the body of people over 30 cholesterol in the food should come no more than 250-300 mg.

The fact is that the content of cholesterol in foods depends on the degree of their fat content, and on the number of saturated and unsaturated fats. For example, if lard contains cholesterol in large quantities and at the same time a large proportion of saturated (solid) fat, the degree of harmfulness of this product is significantly increased. And, on the contrary, the fish contains a lot of cholesterol, but saturated fat is much less. In contrast, they are a high number of unsaturated fats. Therefore, fish products are considered a preventive measure against the development of atherosclerosis, leading to the accumulation of cholesterol and its settling on the walls of the vessels.

It should be noted that the cholesterol in foods and the amount of fat depends on how the animals were fed and in what conditions they were kept. Basically, this applies to poultry and fish.

So which foods contain more cholesterol, and which ones are dangerous to our health (based on the level of this substance)? The largest amount is found in the brain (800 to 2200 mg), kidney (300 to 780 mg), as well as in pork (maximum 380 mg in the loin area), beef liver (260 to 390 mg) and liver of others Animals, butter (from 240 to 280), and fat is melted. It should be remembered that cholesterol in products of vegetable origin and vegetable oil is not contained. But they are rich in sitosterol, a plant analogue of cholesterol, which, on the contrary, normalizes the exchange of fats and their splitting. But in the intestine this substance combines with cholesterol, forming a complex that is poorly soluble and absorbed into the blood. That's why separate food is recommended .

There are several rules, compliance with which contributes to the normalization of cholesterol metabolism :

1. Reducing the use of foods that are rich in cholesterol.
2. Eat moderate, do not overeat.
3. Eat foods rich in fiber. Fiber promotes the binding of cholesterol in the gastrointestinal tract.
4. Complete provision of the body with vitamins, which split this substance and help it to withdraw.
5. It should be ensured that there is no excess body weight. Excess and a strong lack of weight leads to a malfunction in the operation of all systems.
6. It is necessary to get rid of bad habits (alcohol, smoking).

Remember that the fish, although it contains cholesterol in sufficient quantities, helps its cleavage and excretion from the body. Also in this well-proven low-fat cheeses, cottage cheese and sour-milk products. It is not recommended to eat egg yolks, fatty meat, soup fat, sour cream and butter frequently. The most important thing is not to abuse. There is everything possible, only in a moderate amount, because the cholesterol in the food enters the body and so in sufficient doses!