Cholesterol

Cholesterol has recently gained immense popularity: articles are written about it, books are published. And also, many health-conscious people are afraid of him. But is he really as scary as they say about him? And has not cholesterol become a potential culprit of all vascular diseases just because the real cause of such a now widespread formidable diagnosis as a heart attack has not been found? Let’s look at this issue together.

Cholesterol-rich foods:

Indicated approximate quantity in 100 g of product

General characteristics of cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy solid from the sterol group. It is present in large quantities in nerve and adipose tissues, as well as in liver cells. Moreover, it is a precursor not only of bile acids, but also of sex hormones.

Typically, cholesterol is found in animal products.

They are rich in eggs, fish, meat, shellfish, as well as natural dairy products. Most of the cholesterol, about 75%, the body produces on its own, and only 25% comes to us with food.

Cholesterol is conventionally divided into “good” and “bad”.

“Good” cholesterol is found in large quantities in animal products prepared according to the norms of culinary processing. In a healthy body, excess cholesterol is excreted on its own.

As for the “bad” cholesterol, it is formed from superheated fats, which are converted to trans fats. In this case, the very structure of cholesterol changes. The molecule becomes more bumpy, which contributes to the deposition of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels.

Daily need for cholesterol

Representatives of official medicine call the norm values ​​equal to 200 mg / dl (from 3.2 to 5.2 mmol / liter). However, these figures are disputed by some data from studies conducted in the United States. For people of working age, researchers say, cholesterol levels can be around 250 mg / dl – 300 mg / dl (6.4 mmol / liter – 7.5 mmol / liter). As for the elderly, their norm is 220 mg / dL (5,5 mmol / liter).

The need for cholesterol increases:

• With the existing risk of hemorrhage, when the fragility of the vascular walls appears. In this case, good cholesterol plays the role of a patch that neatly closes the damaged area in the vessel.
• For problems with red blood cells. Cholesterol is also irreplaceable here. It restores the integrity of the damaged red blood cell wall.
• For weakness and feeling unwell caused by low cholesterol levels.
• With a lack of sex hormones, as well as insufficient production of bile acids.

The need for cholesterol is reduced:

• With various liver diseases associated with the risk of gallstone formation, as well as with some types of metabolic disorders.
• In the case of recent surgeries (less than 2,5 months).
• For problems with the cardiovascular system.

Cholesterol absorption

It is well absorbed together with fats, as it is a fat-soluble substance. It is digested in the liver, which produces the required amount of bile acids for its absorption. Absorbed in the intestines.

Cholesterol and health

In our world, it is generally accepted that cholesterol is the No. 1 enemy for the cardiovascular system. At the same time, it is far from always clarified that these accusations do not at all relate to good cholesterol, which has the correct structure. After all, it is trans fats (bad cholesterol) that become the main culprits for vascular pollution.

Read also our dedicated article on vascular nutrition.

Thanks to research by British scientists, it became known that the rate of heart attacks and strokes increased among the population group adhering to a low-cholesterol diet (light oils, margarines, exclusion of animal fats from food). It should be borne in mind that all these products were obtained as a result of physicochemical treatment, in which the structure of the cholesterol molecule was disrupted, turning it into poison.

In addition, the inconsistency of the theory is confirmed – the connection of high blood cholesterol levels with heart attacks and strokes. After all, earlier cardiovascular diseases were much less, and people consumed much more cholesterol-containing foods. And before there was no fat-free dairy products, “light” butter and other cholesterol-free “masterpieces” on the shelves of our stores!

According to Andreas Moritz, author of the book “The Secret of a Healthy Heart”, the familiar trans fats contained in deep-fried foods (chips, fast food, etc.), as well as excessive consumption of protein foods, cause significant harm to the blood vessels and the heart. and, of course, constant stress and social insecurity.

It is the nervous overload that leads to vasospasm, as a result of which the blood supply to the heart and brain deteriorates. Supporters of Ayurvedic medicine believe that love and respect for each other can prevent a heart attack, and also contribute to a faster recovery of a patient after an illness.

And the third fact that proves the harmlessness of high-grade cholesterol for the cardiovascular system is the diet of the inhabitants of Japan, the Mediterranean and the Caucasus, who, despite their high-cholesterol menu, are long-livers, healthy, joyful and energetic people.

That is why everyone who reads these lines would like to say that it is better to eat pure and healthy food, and also to observe the main rule of medicine, which is called “Do no harm!”

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