What is cholesterol? What foods are suitable for people with high cholesterol?

Cholesterol, also known as cholesterol, is a white or light yellow crystal with similar solubility to fat. It is insoluble in water but easily soluble in solvents such as ether and chloroform. It is the main steroid compound in mammals and plays an important role in basic cell life activities. In daily life, some friends may experience high cholesterol. The following is about what foods are suitable for people with high cholesterol, what foods to eat as little as possible, etc. I hope it will be useful to you.

Contents of this article

1. What is cholesterol?

2. What foods are suitable for people with high cholesterol?

3. What should not be eaten if you have high cholesterol?

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is also an important indicator of clinical biochemical examination. Under normal circumstances, the cholesterol synthesized in the liver and taken from food will be converted into steroid hormones or become a component of cell membranes, and the cholesterol concentration in the blood will remain constant. When the liver is seriously diseased, the cholesterol concentration will decrease. In patients with jaundice obstruction and nephrotic syndrome, the cholesterol concentration tends to increase.

Cholesterol has a wide range of physiological effects in the body, but when it is excessive, it will lead to hypercholesterolemia, which has an adverse effect on the body. Modern research has found that atherosclerosis, venous thrombosis and cholelithiasis are closely related to hypercholesterolemia. If it is simply high cholesterol, dietary adjustment is the best way. If it is accompanied by high blood pressure, it is best to monitor blood pressure. As long as it is confirmed by a doctor as high blood pressure, antihypertensive drugs are needed. Hypercholesterolemia is a very important cause of atherosclerosis, so please pay attention.

What foods are suitable for people with high cholesterol?

1. Apple

Because it is rich in pectin, cellulose and vitamin C, it has a very good lipid-lowering effect. If you eat two apples a day for a month, the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (harmful to the cardiovascular system) in the blood of most people will decrease, while the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level that is beneficial to the cardiovascular system will increase.

2. Carrots

Rich in calcium pectate, it reacts chemically with bile acid and is excreted from the stool. The body must use the cholesterol in the blood to produce bile acid, thereby lowering the cholesterol level in the blood.

3. Corn

It is rich in calcium, phosphorus, selenium, lecithin, vitamin E, etc., and has the effect of lowering serum cholesterol.

4. Oysters

It is rich in zinc and taurine, especially taurine which can promote the decomposition of cholesterol and help lower blood lipid levels.

5. Almonds

People with normal or slightly high cholesterol levels can replace low-nutrient-density foods in their diet with almonds to lower blood cholesterol and maintain heart health.

6. Kelp

It is rich in taurine, which can lower blood pressure and cholesterol in bile; it contains dietary fiber alginate, which can also inhibit the absorption of cholesterol and promote excretion.

What to eat if you have high cholesterol

1. Animal Brains

Calculated based on 100 grams of food weight, the cholesterol content of pig brain is 2571 mg, sheep brain is 2004 mg, and cow brain is 2447 mg. Therefore, if you eat animal brains, it is advisable not to eat it more than once or twice a year.

2. Animal offal

Including kidneys, livers, lungs, intestines of animals such as pigs, cattle, sheep, and chickens, the approximate content is 200-400 mg of cholesterol per 100 grams of offal. Therefore, animal offal should be eaten as little as possible, preferably no more than twice a month.

3. Egg yolk

One egg contains 292.5 mg of cholesterol, which is mainly concentrated in the yolk. Therefore, the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" issued by the Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that ordinary adults eat 0.5-1 eggs a day. Patients with dyslipidemia should not eat more than 2-3 eggs a week.

4. Squid and shellfish

Every 100 grams of squid contains 268 mg of cholesterol, so do not eat squid more than twice a week.

5. Cream, butter, etc.

The saturated fatty acids in these oils can also promote the liver to synthesize more cholesterol.