have got friend staying with me who wouldn't eat the ice cream that is cholesterol free, because the fat is 30g content! I think it should be ok but she says no. same with other cholesterol free foods she has to look at the fat content to check it is up to a certain amount.
She is 51 years old and her last reading of cholesterol was 9.
Any idea how to check cholesterol on foods?
Amethsytfairy:confused:
If her cholesterol is that high it's not because she needs fat-free foods, it's because either:
1) for some reason the production and breakdown of cholesterol in her body are poorly regulated
or
2) something else is poorly regulated, hence creating a need for higher cholesterol levels.
Remember that cholesterol is made by the body, and removed by the body. This is a function of the liver, if the liver is struggling, then that's a more important question.
And cholesterol production increases when there is inflammation in the blood vessels - it buffers acidity in the coronary arteries.
Lastly the, number 9 is potentially misleading on its own, what is more significant is the ratio of LDL to HDL or total cholesterol to HDL.
Still, we can argue these points ad infinitum, discussion of what that means is a huge subject, and it doesn't answer the question: if she's determined she needs low fat food, then that's up to her.
But nobody ever died from ice-cream deficiency, if she doesn't want it then don't be offended. Having said that, total lack of fat in the diet does lead to malnutrition, that's not the answer to her problems either.
Cholesterol levels have become the 'Holy Grail' of the medical profession. From all that I have learned I think they are barking up the wrong tree. It is not a 'disease' but a symptom that things are not in balance. Bringing down the cholesterol levels per se does not deal with the cause, and it is not even a very good marker for possible heart disease - homocysteine levels are far more accurate, [DLMURL="http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/249.html"]see here[/DLMURL].
The body produces at least 80% of its cholesterol and it is needed as a precursor for hormone production, for brain function and to protect the arteries from inflammation amongst other things! The ratio between the different types of cholesterol is a much more important marker than totals (a lecture in itself!).
If she is worried about her cholesterol levels she needs to consider her overall diet from the point of view of reducing inflammation. She needs to look at the foods that bind to cholesterol in the gut to take it out of the body, such as oat bran (not wheat bran) and artichokes which contain inulin.
As for fatty foods - saturated fats are not good and these found in animal products (including ice cream, I'm afraid) should be limited. Make sure she has an adequate intake of healthy, essential omega-3 oils from oily fish though. Most people have enough omega-6 from salad oils. Fats are an essential part of the diet for absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, to keep the skin supple and moisturised and also help curb the appetite.
Sugars are a problem. The body converts those that are not used up immediately in energy production into fat for future storage. That is a much more worrying thing - as sugar is inflammatory and can cause serious problems in the body. Fat cells produce hormones which can alter the body's signalling systems and promote inflammatory cytokines. Inflammation in the body can show up in the arteries and the cholesterol is used to plaster over the damage. The next problem is that the cholesterol itself then gets damaged by these inflammatory free radicals and that's the problem - not the cholesterol itself. see Patrick Holford's New Optimum Nutrition Bible, Phyllis Balch's Prescription for Nutritional Healing, etc
It is vital therefore to reduce free radical formation and for that it is necessary to have as many colourful fruit and veges as possible, and to limit animal products, eat beans, nuts and seeds too. This will also alkalise the body and will help considerably, whereas avoiding fat altogether is counterproductive.
Sorry it turned out to be so long!! 😮 😀
Hi
Totally agree with the comments above. It seems that contrary to popular belief, dietary intake of cholesterol is not the problem as the body can and does produce its own, and even so, it is the ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol that is more important. I was just wondering, though, and I know this may sound a silly question, but what exactly is the problem with saturated fats (as opposed to trans fats). Is it not the case that despite the reduction of the intake of saturated fats like butter and full fat milk over the last 100years or so, heart disease has increased possibly due to the increase in trans fat in our diets and a more sedentary life style.
Crystal elf