What is it, what it is not, its importance for health, truths and wrongs known as true… Curious questions and answers about cholesterol;
1. What is cholesterol?
It is a molecule of the lipid class (For detailed information about lipid types, see Lipids; Classification, Fatty Acids, Fats and Oils). It is not found in plant foods, it can only be found in animal foods in varying amounts. In addition, the human body produces between 1 and 4 grams of cholesterol per day.
2. Is cholesterol a completely harmful compound for the body?
No. On the contrary, cholesterol has very important functions in the body.
It is involved in the digestion of fats. Therefore, if there is not enough cholesterol in the body, there may be problems in the digestion of fats.
Another important function of cholesterol is to take place in the structure of nerve tissues.
So much so that 17% of the dry matter weight of the brain is cholesterol. Cholesterol is an indispensable building material for nervous system tissues. However, they also participate in the structure of the cell wall in other tissues.
Cholesterol is also the precursor to vitamin D produced in the body.
3. What is the negative effect on health?
The melting point of cholesterol is 159oC. There are constantly 10-12 grams in the blood and this is normal. If the amount of cholesterol in the blood is constantly high; it accumulates in the vessel walls over time and can cause occlusion of the vessels. However, it should be known that cholesterol is not the only responsible for the accumulation in the veins.
This effect is not an instantaneous problem, individuals with high cholesterol levels over a long period are at risk in this regard.
What causes heart attack?
While routine blood flow continues in the veins, over decades, some deposits can accumulate in some veins and form a plaque structure, like garbage and silt accumulated on one side of a river. These deposits, called plaques, form inside the veins and are mainly composed of cholesterol, inflammatory immune cells, calcium, and many other components (such as trans fatty acids). Over the years, the amount of this deposit increases over the years, and, as can be expected, the patency of the veins decreases, and blood flow becomes difficult.
Plaques formed on the veins that feed the heart (coronary) cause the heart muscle to have difficulty receiving enough blood. This problem manifests itself with an intermittent and severe pain called angina pectoris. Angina pectoris can be considered a precursor and sign of a much more serious problem, namely a heart attack.
You can compare this situation in the veins to the flow in a stream. Over time, deposits form, and the flow becomes difficult. One day, the water pressure breaks up the deposit and tries to ease the flow. This is also what happens in the veins. Over the years, the plaque gradually grows, the pressure of the flow increases in the narrowed vessel opening, and one day, the blood disperses that plaque; in other words, the plaque breaks.
The real story of a heart attack begins after this. Just as when a cut or injury occurs anywhere in our body, the blood in that area immediately clots and prevents blood flow and, therefore, blood loss; when a plaque breaks, the body’s injury controllers think that the plaque is a part of the body and immediately clot the blood in the part of the plaque that is broken. The clotting that occurs in the vessel brings the blood flow to a complete halt. While the body thinks that an injured area is closed, the blood flow that is forced into the vessel actually almost comes to a standstill, and as a result, a heart attack occurs.
The real problem in a heart attack is not the plaque breaking but the blood immediately entering the clotting process in the part of the broken plaque. For this reason, blood thinners (preventing clot formation) such as aspirin are prescribed to individuals at risk of heart attack.
*I am grateful to Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee for “The Song of the Cell”
4. What does the level of cholesterol in the blood depend on?
•Genetic predisposition,
• Obesity,
•Nutrition habits,
• Stress.
Genetic inheritance from the family can cause high cholesterol levels in the blood of the individual. To control this situation, it is extremely important to seek the opinion of a doctor and to comply with the doctor’s instructions in this context. However, controlling other factors can help balance blood cholesterol levels.
5. What if we say nutrition?
It is recommended that dietary intake should be a maximum of 300 mg per day. As mentioned before, no plant foods contain cholesterol, only animal foods. Only 50-60% of cholesterol taken with food can be absorbed by the body.
6. Should we be afraid of animal foods?
Individuals who are healthy and do not have risk factors should not be afraid. Of course, this does not mean that healthy people can overeat foods high in cholesterol. Eating enough and in moderation is essential.
Individuals with one or more of the risk factors and individuals with high cholesterol levels in the blood should be careful against foods with high cholesterol.
However, every person should have their blood cholesterol level measured regularly once or twice a year. In particular, individuals with a history of cardiovascular disease in their family and close relatives should pay attention to this situation.
7. Which foods contain high amounts of cholesterol?
Foods at risk for cholesterol are the brain, liver and eggs.
• 2 thousand 195 mg per 100 grams of the brain,
• Liver 309 mg per 100 grams,
• 1 egg contains approximately 200 mg.
However, it should be kept in mind that caviar, lobster and crab also contain high amounts of cholesterol, although they are not consumed frequently.
8. What about meat, milk, cheese and butter?
• 100 ml of whole milk 13 mg,
• 100 g veal 83 mg,
• 100 g butter 237 mg,
• 100 gr cheese 100-200 mg,
• 100 g of yogurt contains 13 mg of cholesterol.
Healthy individuals should not be afraid if they consume these foods in moderation. It should be noted that the recommended daily intake of cholesterol is at most 300 mg.
9. What can be advised for these foods?
Considering that a daily individual consumes between 10-20 g of butter, the amount of cholesterol taken with butter is approximately 25-50 mg. However, it is a much healthier option if clarified butter is preferred over butter.
Clarified butter is obtained by separating the water after the butter is melted. At this stage, 90% of the cholesterol in butter is removed from the oil with the separated water. Therefore, it can be said that choosing plain oil instead of butter is extremely beneficial for cardiovascular health.
If the cheese is consumed in daily 10-50 gr measurements, cholesterol should not be feared.
One of the biggest mistakes individuals make to gain weight and develop their bodies is to consume a high number of eggs. Consuming 5 eggs a day means taking approximately 1000 mg of cholesterol into the body. This bad diet will invite serious cardiovascular diseases in the future. 1 egg a day is ideal for cardiovascular health.
10. What should be the level of cholesterol in the blood?
For a healthy adult individual, the total cholesterol level in the blood is expected to be 200 mg/dl and below.
A total cholesterol level of 200-239 mg/dl is accepted as the limit value. 240 mg/dl and above are considered high values.
LDL* level in the blood should be below 100 mg/dl. LDL is popularly known as “bad cholesterol.” LDL value in the range of 100-129 mg/dl is acceptable for individuals without health problems; however, this value range is a situation that should be considered especially in individuals with cardiovascular disease and individuals at risk of discomfort (excessive weight, stress, routine diet with high cholesterol content and genetic predisposition). The range of 130-159 mg/dl for LDL is borderline high; 160-190 mg/dl is high; Values of 190 mg/dl and above are considered very high.
HDL** level should be kept high. HDL is popularly known as “good cholesterol.” HDL values lower than 40 mg/dl are considered an important risk factor for heart disease. Values between 41-59 mg/dl for HDL are considered borderline low. The HDL level should be 60 mg/dl and above.
*LDL; Low-Density Lipoprotein. Lipoprotein is used because cholesterol is bound to proteins in the blood. **HDL; High-Density Lipoprotein.
Here’s an article that might interest you; Fats and Oils; Functions in the Body, Nutritional Importance and Daily Needs
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