2023-09-26 08:41:12
by Elena Meli
Three questions (and answers) from the guide «Colesterol: everything you need to know» on newsstands on 26 September for free with Corriere della Sera
Is it true that you can’t eat eggs if you have high cholesterol?
In the past, foods rich in cholesterol such as egg yolk or shrimp were banned because they were believed to increase blood cholesterol. Today it has been understood that the cholesterol in these foods does not have a significant impact: below 200-300 milligrams of cholesterol per day from food sources there is no risk and around 200 are found in an egg, so the Mediterranean diet indicates a permitted “dose” of four eggs per week. The egg is a complete food, rich in proteins and overall reduces cholesterol because it reduces its synthesis by the body: so, if we eat eggs for lunch, to avoid excess fat, just bring vegetables or legumes to the table in the evening. Eating more than four eggs a week can increase plaques in the carotid arteries, probably by a process similar to what has been demonstrated for meat: the choline from these foods can be transformed into a substance with pro-atherogenic effects, but this happens especially if the intestinal bacterial flora is “wrong”. It is therefore the diet as a whole, which affects the intestinal flora, that must be balanced and correct.
What foods should you eliminate/reduce?
First of all, we must not exaggerate with calories, regardless of the source, because excess negatively influences the hepatic metabolism of cholesterol (and not only). The nutrients to pay most attention to are saturated fats from foods such as red meats and sausages, dairy products or vegetable oils rich in saturated fats, for example coconut and palm oils: calories from saturated fats must not exceed 10% of the daily energy intake in those who do not have particular cardiovascular risk factors and the percentage drops to 7% in those who have high cholesterol and/or are at moderate/high cardiovascular risk.
Trans or hydrogenated fats must also be completely eliminated, which mostly derive from industrial processes with which hydrogen atoms are added to vegetable fats so as to make them solid at room temperature and facilitate food processing, give body to the products and increase their shelf life. They are dangerous because they increase the production of LDL cholesterol and reduce HDL cholesterol, they also promote inflammation and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, they even seem to worsen memory and what’s more it seems there is no safe threshold for their consumption, however low. The World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed completely eliminating them from industrial products by 2023, but to protect yourself you must always read the labels of industrial foods carefully and not buy them if they say hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable fats.
What foods should be preferred to keep cholesterol under control? The healthy diet to manage cholesterol levels is Mediterranean-style, low in calories and rich in fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and fish, with a reduced salt intake. The most valuable nutrients against cholesterol are the polyunsaturated fatty acids found in oily fish, avocado, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils such as sunflower oil: in addition to reducing LDL cholesterol levels, a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids increases the amount of HDL cholesterol. The same happens with the monounsaturated fatty acids which extra virgin olive oil is rich in, an essential component of a healthy diet. Alcohol consumption must also be reduced and smoking avoided, as well as adequate weight control with regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise, according to WHO recommendations).
September 26, 2023 (changed September 26, 2023 | 08:40)
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