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Diet with blood cholesterol: video recipes
Cholesterol is a fatty alcohol that participates in many body processes, circulating in the human blood from the liver to the cells and vice versa. If a large amount of this substance accumulates in the blood, this can lead to health problems, in the first place, to diseases of the cardiovascular system. Since some of the cholesterol is absorbed into the body with food, a proper diet will help reduce its content in the blood.
Cholesterol is an organic compound in human cells, 80% of which is synthesized in the liver, and 20% enters the body with food. Cholesterol is a lipid or fatty alcohol, the correct name for which sounds like “cholesterol”. It is generally accepted that this is a substance harmful to humans, and the less it is in the blood, the better.
In fact, cholesterol is involved in many important processes in the human body: it forms cell membranes, participates in the production of hormones androgens and estrogens, synthesizes cortisol, aldosterone and other adrenal hormones, converts sunlight into vitamin D, participates in the metabolism of other fat-soluble vitamins , prevents the crystallization of hydrocarbons in cells.
There are two main types of cholesterol: the so-called “good cholesterol”, which is carried from the cells of the body to the liver, after which it is broken down, and “bad cholesterol”, which is carried from the liver to other cells.
In fact, the only difference is that the latter species, in large quantities, can accumulate in the blood during transport through the body, resulting in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This is why high levels of “bad cholesterol” in the blood can be dangerous to health.
The Dangers of High Cholesterol
Blood cholesterol levels in humans range from 3 to 7,8 mmol per liter. The concentration of this fatty alcohol above 5-6 mmol per liter is not considered the norm and requires the close attention of doctors. For women, normal indicators are slightly lower than for men: from 3 to 5,5, for men, the norm is considered to be from 3,5 to 6.
Therefore, women need to start worrying about high cholesterol levels with lower levels.
High blood cholesterol levels lead to the development of many dangerous diseases:
- atherosclerosis: cholesterol remaining in the blood clogs and narrows arteries
- myocardial infarction: large amounts of cholesterol form a clot or blood clot in the coronary artery, blocking oxygen access to the heart, resulting in death of the heart muscle
- stroke or microstroke: a clot blocks veins or arteries, blocking blood from reaching the brain, causing brain cells to die off when there is a lack of oxygen
- angina pectoris: the heart muscle does not receive enough blood due to a clot, which manifests itself as pain or discomfort in the chest area
- coronary heart disease: damage to the arteries that carry blood to the heart muscle
As a rule, the likelihood of developing these diseases is detected by measuring the level of cholesterol in the blood in the laboratory or at home (using special devices). Some people may not be aware of high cholesterol prior to testing, but there are several symptoms that suggest elevated blood cholesterol levels.
These are leg pains during exercise, narrowed coronary arteries, ruptured plaques, yellow spots on the skin – with such signs, you should consult a doctor and have tests done.
It is also advisable to regularly check cholesterol levels for those who are at risk: smokes, leads a sedentary lifestyle, drinks alcohol, is overweight and does not eat well.
Diet to lower blood cholesterol levels
Improper diet has a significant impact on the increase in blood cholesterol levels. Healthy people should not consume more than three hundred milligrams of cholesterol per day, people with high cholesterol levels should reduce the amount of fatty foods to a minimum. Cholesterol is found in any food that contains fat, but only foods with saturated fat have an impact on human health. First of all, sausages, lard, cream, fatty sour cream, cheeses, pork and other fatty meats should be significantly reduced or completely removed from the menu. By-products – liver or heart, which contain a large amount of fat, are very harmful for people with high cholesterol. A lot of cholesterol is found in fatty poultry, it is advisable to eat only meat from the breast and be sure to remove the skin first.
Reducing blood cholesterol
Some nutritionists advise people with high cholesterol to reduce their egg intake – indeed, the yolk contains quite a lot of fat. But one or two eggs a day have practically no effect on blood cholesterol levels, and the harm to the yolk compared to sausages or lard is insignificant.
In addition, you can only eat proteins that contain almost no cholesterol, but there are many useful substances.
You should give up butter, reduce the consumption of refined sugar, both in pure form and in baked goods and other products, such as yoghurts or sweets. Choose low-fat dairy products. But your main enemies during a diet aimed at lowering blood cholesterol levels are various types of fast food: convenience foods, baked goods and desserts. They contain so-called trans fats: artificial saturated solid fats (such as margarine) that significantly raise cholesterol levels.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, foods high in fiber, nuts, vegetable oils, dried fruits, legumes, sea fish will help reduce blood cholesterol (polyunsaturated fatty acids in it only benefit the body, and iodine prevents the formation of plaques on the walls of blood vessels).
And for nursing mothers, there is a great diet that will help them get back in shape quickly after giving birth.