Are there too many eggs? Solve the mystery of cholesterol

Along Roberta H. Anding, MS, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital

The Great Courses Daily, edited by Kate Findley and calibrated by Angela Shoemaker

Most of us are familiar with the term “cholesterol”, but what exactly is that? Is cholesterol good or bad for you? Professor Anding breaks it down.

Make cholesterol

Cholesterol technically contains no fatty acids, but it is still classified as thick, Or lipids, because it has some of the same chemical and physical properties as fat. Although cholesterol can be taken in the diet, cholesterol is produced in or in the body at baseline rates that vary from 800 milligrams to 1500 milligrams per day. It is made primarily by the liver, but is also made by other tissues such as the arteries and intestines.

We have this master design plan, and when something absolutely is needed, our body often creates it. Cholesterol builds the plasma membrane and is required for the synthesis of vitamin D, adrenal hormones, estrogens, androgens, and progesterone. So it is an integral part of every cell of your body and an important part of bile.

It also helps build tissues and organs during fetal development. However, cholesterol does not have calories because it has no fatty acid structure.

There is no cholesterol dietary requirement because endogenous cholesterol synthesis (the amount produced in the liver) is almost always sufficient to meet the needs of the body. However, the switch can be stimulated or turned on to produce cholesterol in the blood, which increases endogenous cholesterol synthesis in a diet high in saturated or trans fat.

You should be familiar with cholesterol-lowering drugs that have been on the market for the last 10 or 15 years, such as statin resins. They actually block or turn off the cholesterol switch in the liver. Many studies suggest that Statins can significantly reduce the risk of a first heart attack..

Cholesterol and diet

The only foods rich in cholesterol are animal products such as lean meat, chicken and fish. Organ meats such as the brain, kidneys, and liver are important sources of cholesterol. Again, cholesterol is found in the meat of meat because it is contained in the cell membrane.

Shellfish, especially shrimp, are as important a source of cholesterol as dairy products. Non-fat milk has less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol per serving, but full-fat milk is much higher.

As a simple guide, one ounce of meat you consume contains 25 milligrams of cholesterol. 6 ounces of chicken and 6 ounces of brisket have approximately the same cholesterol levels, whether they contain nutritious books or have different saturated fat contents. Egg yolk contains about 213 milligrams per egg, depending on the size of the egg.

Cholesterol is not included in foods of plant origin. A few years ago, a banana marketing strategy where a famous branded banana was labeled with the label “no cholesterol”. Of course, we know that cholesterol can only be obtained from animals, so if you are convinced that this banana is something special, you won’t fall into this trick.

Another marketing strategy is to label shortening cans with “cholesterol-free”. This is technically true, but since shortening is a vegetable product, it is also a saturated fat and indirectly increases cholesterol.

A more complicated issue is the fact that eating a particular source of cholesterol (eg eggs) does not always lead to an increase in blood cholesterol. Thus, looking at the major switches of endogenous cholesterol production in the liver, they are saturated and trans fats.

Dietary cholesterol enters in the far third In most studies.. There is an article in the media that someone ate 12 eggs a day and lived to be 105 years old. This is because eggs are a rich source of cholesterol but very low in saturated fat.

LDL and HDL

It’s a little confusing when we talk about the cholesterol we eat and the cholesterol made by the liver. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) are terms that have become associated with cholesterol and heart health for many consumers.

High levels of LDL can clog arteries and are often referred to as “bad cholesterol.” HDL is called “good cholesterol” because it sends cholesterol to the liver and removes it from the liver.

HDL and LDL are blood proteins and are not found in food. However, your diet can affect the amount of each type of cholesterol produced by your body.

Therefore, cholesterol is naturally produced in our body and is found in the foods we eat. A diet high in saturated fat (cholesterol is not necessary) can activate a switch that causes our body to produce more LDL.

This article was edited by The Great Courses Daily writer Kate Findley,and Proofreading by Angela Shoemaker, proofreaders, and copy editors from The Great Courses Daily..

Professor Roberta H. Anding is a Registered Dietitian, Dean of Sports Nutrition, and Clinical Nutritionist at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital. She also teaches and lectures in the Pediatrics, Adolescent and Sports Medicine section of Baylor College of Medicine, and the Athletic Department of Rice University.