Can't you eat eggs and meat with high cholesterol? It's time to change our prejudice against cholesterol

We often see some elderly people not eating meat and eggs because their cholesterol levels have increased.

Some elderly people have been vegetarians for a long time, coupled with weakened absorption function of the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in varying degrees of malnutrition in the body, which has a negative impact on health.

So, can high cholesterol actually eat meat and eggs? How should cholesterol be controlled? Today, I will explain it in detail for everyone.

What role does cholesterol play in the human body?

Cholesterol is an essential nutrient for the human body, which participates in multiple physiological activities and is an important substance for human health:

Cholesterol is an important substance in the formation of bile acids

We know that bile is an important tool for the human body to digest food. Bile is secreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. When the human body ingests food, bile is squeezed from the gallbladder into the duodenum and mixed with food, transforming large fat particles into small particles, making it easier to interact with enzymes in the small intestine and making these nutrients easily absorbed by the human body.The main substance in bile, bile acids, needs to be synthesized from cholesterol.

Cholesterol is an important component of cell membranes

Cells are the fundamental structural and functional units of all living organisms (including animals, plants, and microorganisms), meaning that these organisms are composed of cells.

Cells are generally composed of the nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell membrane. The cell membrane, as the name suggests, is a layer of membrane that surrounds each cell. In addition to its protective function, it also has various functions such as absorption, secretion, and exchange of internal and external substances. Cholesterol is an important component of cell membranes, accounting for over 20% of plasma membrane lipids.It plays an important role in maintaining normal cell function.

Cholesterol is a raw material for the synthesis of various hormones

Cholesterol is a precursor of various hormones, including cortisol and aldosterone secreted by the human adrenal cortex; The testosterone and estradiol secreted by the gonads require the participation of cholesterol, and are also important raw materials for vitamin D synthesis.

These hormones are chemical messengers that coordinate the metabolic processes of different cells in a multicellular body, participating in the metabolism of various substances in the body, including sugars, proteins, fats, water, electrolytes, and minerals. They are crucial for maintaining normal physiological functions in the human body.

Can I eat meat and eggs with elevated cholesterol?

Some elderly people do not eat meat or eggs due to increased cholesterol; Is it correct to eat eggs without yolks?

The cholesterol brought in by food intake only accounts for 20-30% of the human body, and its impact on the body is much smaller than the cholesterol produced by the body itself. At the same time, long-term nutritional deficiencies have a huge impact on health.On the other hand, long-term control of cholesterol intake can also stimulate the production of endogenous cholesterol in the human body.

Therefore, it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons and minimize the impact on health as much as possible. Some foods that were previously considered unsuitable for people with elevated cholesterol, such as egg yolks, shrimp, crabs, lean meat, etc,It can be consumed appropriately.This is because these foods are also rich in healthy unsaturated fat, protein, calcium, iron and other trace elements.

Therefore,People with elevated cholesterol can eat meat and eggs, but it is advisable to eat lean meat and avoid consuming a large amount of fat. Eating an egg every day should be safe.Of course, people with elevated cholesterol,a large number ofEating meat and eggs is also not suitable.

How is cholesterol produced?

It is generally believed that there are two sources of cholesterol in the human body: endogenous cholesterol. Synthesized by the body in metabolism, the liver and intestinal wall are the main organs for synthesis; The second is exogenous cholesterol, obtained from food.

a large number of2030%Therefore,

Is there any harm to having too much cholesterol?

Despite all the benefits of cholesterol, excessive cholesterol is also harmful to health.

The normal value of cholesterol in normal individuals is 0-5.2mmo/L (0-200mg/dl),Exceeding this value indicates an increase in cholesterol. So, what are the hazards of high cholesterol?

1. Vascular stenosis

As cholesterol accumulates on the blood vessel wall, the lumen of the blood vessel gradually narrows, leading to ischemia and hypoxia in tissues and organs, leading to a series of symptoms.

2. Atherosclerosis

The formation of atherosclerosis is mainly related to low-density lipoprotein. In normal arteries, the intima of blood vessels is smooth, but diseases such as high cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension will destroy the tunica intima, leading to lipid deposition under the intima of the arteries, accompanied by proliferation of smooth muscle cells and fiber matrix components, and gradually develop into atherosclerotic plaque, forming atherosclerosis.

3. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular embolism

With the aggravation of arterial atherosclerosis, the deposited cholesterol will appear fault, and thrombus will form at the fault. Once these blood clots fall off, they may cause infarction of the carotid and coronary arteries, andStroke and myocardial infarction can also lead to embolism of blood vessels in the lungs and lower limbs, which can even be life-threatening.

4. Inducing prostate cancer

The occurrence of prostate cancer is closely related to male hormones, and cholesterol is the raw material for producing male hormones. Excessive cholesterol may lead to increased hormone secretion, leading to the occurrence of prostate cancer. For diagnosed prostate cancer, cholesterol can also accelerate the growth rate of the tumor.

5. Causing chronic kidney disease

At the 2014 World Congress of Cardiology, a study in the United States found that patients with elevated levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol have an increased risk of chronic kidney disease.

6. Increased incidence of osteoporosis

After conducting research on postmenopausal women, Italian researchers found that if low density lipoprotein levels increase, the likelihood of osteoporosis also increases.

7. Inducing periodontal disease

Elevated cholesterol can cause the gap between teeth and gums to expand, preventing bacteria from entering the gap and causing cells to lose their function, leading to bacteria entering the gap and forming periodontal disease.

How to control cholesterol?

1. Eat less animal organs and more vegetables

2. Eat more fish and less fat.a large number of

Is blood lipids and cholesterol the same thing?

Lipids are the fats in the blood, while cholesterol belongs to a category of fats, and there is a difference between the two.The four types of blood lipids prescribed by hospitals generally refer to: cholesterolTriglycerideHigh-density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein.