Cholesterol: eggs and risk for cardiovascular disease
Unfavorable cholesterol levels in the blood, according to experts, the most dangerous risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In many cases, this risk can be reduced by a healthier lifestyle. Proper nutrition plays an important role in this. Often, it is recommended to renounce at elevated cholesterol to eggs. Must be but really?
Although people with elevated cholesterol levels is often advised to lower cholesterol drugs. However, some Experts my experts, that these can cause more harm than good and, among other serious side effects. Most importantly, a change in Diet is to lower the mirror. Especially a lower egg consumption is mentioned here often. Eggs are really so harmful?
Moderate egg consumption is safe
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“Basically, the following rule applies: the higher the cholesterol level, the higher the risk for cardiovascular disease,” writes the Institute for quality and efficiency in health care (IQWiG) on the Portal “gesundheitsinformation.de”.
According to the German heart Foundation-high cholesterol values, however, in many cases, already with a well thought-through diet reduce. Often Affected, it is recommended to reduce the consumption of eggs or discontinue.
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But if you treat yourself to times more eggs, you must have a guilty Conscience. They contain plenty of cholesterol, however, as the Federal centre for nutrition (BZfE) reports, influences the level of cholesterol in the blood hardly.
The one in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” published a study by the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) McMaster University (Canada) and the hospital network, Hamilton Health Sciences shows.
“A moderate egg consumption, which is in most people, approximately one Egg per day does not increase the risk for cardiovascular disease or mortality, even if in the past, cardiovascular diseases or Diabetes have occurred,” said the PHRI researcher Mahshid Dehghan said in a statement.
“There is no connection between the consumption of eggs and cholesterol in the blood, parts of his portfolio, or other risk factors,” says Dehghan. The researcher, according to these results, both for healthy people as well as for people with vascular disease are generally applicable.
Importance of dietary cholesterol has long been overrated
The importance of dietary cholesterol has been overstated, according to the BZfE for a long time. Decisive for the level of cholesterol in the blood cholesterol from the diet is less but the quality of the dietary fats.
It is now known that an Excess of dietary cholesterol, the body’s own formation of Cholesterol can reduce. This will not work on all people smoothly.
As the BZfE writes, is people with elevated blood fat of the relationship between cholesterol and fat is not clear and, therefore, their risk for cardiovascular disease, values often. Goal of diet therapy is to reduce the risk for secondary diseases and the food to adjust, if the increased values are not due to hereditary.
Fat quality need to be modified
A consolation for those Affected: blood cholesterol values above 200 mg/dl treatment are not due to the current scientific Knowledge in principle in need of. The decisive factor is how high the values of the LDL and HDL are cholesterol or their ratio to each other. In addition, it is important whether other risk factors such as Diabetes, hypertension, or Obesity and high triglyceride values.
If the LDL-cholesterol concentration is increased, it must be clarified what type of disorder of the fat metabolism is. In the case of familial combined hyperlipidaemia also have an elevated triglyceride value. Then, the patient should restrict all alcohol and sugar consumption and Obesity prevent or reduce it.
It is different, however, in the case of the pure hypercholesterolemia: dietary fats have a greater impact on cholesterol levels than dietary Cholesterol itself. Therefore, people should especially pay attention to fat intake.
The BZfE, according to do not need often but reduces the amount of fat, but the fat quality is to be modified:
- A diet can decrease in monounsaturated fatty acids, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol.
- Saturated fatty acids increase blood lipids, especially LDL-cholesterol. Saturated fatty acids should therefore be only a maximum of ten percent of the energy intake. For the desired effect of the replacement of saturated fatty acids by monounsaturated fatty acids such as Oleic acid already.
- TRANS fatty acids have adverse effects on the blood fat profile: they increase LDL cholesterol and lower HDL-cholesterol and should be limited to less than one percent of the energy supply.
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid reduce LDL cholesterol levels. There are seven to ten per cent of the energy recommended intake. Large quantities have, however, a negative effect on HDL-cholesterol.
- The ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids of one to five or below is important in order to reduce the risk of heart attack and cancer diseases.
A high dietary fiber intake has a positive effect on lipid values. Sport and exercise affect fat metabolism also.
Finally, the BZfE has a further consolation: a Rigid meal plans or calorie counting is not fashionable. Rather, it is according to the professionals of the food in everyday life, the tastes and the daily routines and habits to adapt. (ad)