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Cholesterol is one of the major reasons for heart disease. Read on to know more about it
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WHAT IS cholesterol? Well, it is a fat that looks like wax, and under the microscope, it appears as crystalline long, sharp needles. Cholesterol is synthesised in the body through a complicated process. After it is manufactured by the liver, it is absorbed from the intestine and mixed with blood where it remains in solution along with other fatty substances.
When blood flows under pressure, tiny droplets of cholesterol are forced into the inner wall of the blood vessels. It later gets precipitated in the vessel wall as needle-like pointed crystals resembling splinters of wood. Thus the role of cholesterol in heart disease is arteriosclerosis, which is a kind of hardening of the arteries caused by fatty deposits called plaques. These deposits contain 70 per cent cholesterol. They clog the arteries and thus impede the flow of blood. The result can be angina or heart attack.
The quantity of cholesterol in the blood plasma depends mostly on the cholesterol content in your diet. It is also dependent on the balance between its synthesis (production by the liver) and its excretion with bile. This equilibrium is influenced by the fats we eat in our food.
Relation between dietary fats and cholesterol
Fats combine with cholesterol and proteins to form lipoproteins. Lipoproteins come in two types — High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) having more protein than fat; and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) containing more fat than protein. Whereas LDL carries fat and cholesterol to the peripheral tissues where they are used, HDL seems to collect cholesterol from the tissues and carry it to the liver for excretion. As HDL clears excess cholesterol from the blood, it is called the "good" cholesterol and because LDL favours build up of cholesterol, it is known as "bad" cholesterol.
Type of fat and cholesterol
Saturated fats are largely responsible for causing elevated cholesterol levels. Foods that contain saturated fats are ghee, butter, cheese, coconut oil and palm oil. It is, therefore, recommended that if you are prone to high cholesterol level, avoid these foods.
Importance of PUFA (polyunsaturated) oils in your diet:
The kind of fat you take in your daily diet is more important than the total amount of fat you consume. If your diet contains liberal proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids, it helps lower blood cholesterol. This happens due to the polyunsaturated acids combining with cholesterol present in the blood to form cholesterol esters. These esters are transported more readily in blood in the form of bile salts into the gut. If your diet does not contain enough PUFA, the cholesterol is not disposed of. It may combine with other substances such as calcium in the body and form a deposit or crust along the walls of the blood vessels.
Use of cooking oil which have a higher PUFA content like Safflower and Sunflower oil, therefore, helps to keep the cholesterol level low/reduced.
Polyunsaturated Acid (PUFA) content in some edible oils and fats:
Fat or Oil PUFA content (gm/100 gm)
1. Coconut oil 2
2. Cottonseed oil 50
3. Pure ghee 4
4. Groundnut oil 28
5. Corn oil 45
6. Mustard oil 25
7. Olive oil 10
8. Safflower oil 75
9. Rice bran oil 35
10. Til oil (sesame/gingelly oil) 42
11.Soya Bean oil 55
12. Vanaspati (hydrogenated oil — Dalda) 6
13. Palm oil 11
(Source: Nutritive Value of Indian Foods - NIN Hyderabad)
Some Dos and Don'ts
Foods low in cholesterol include all types of fresh fruits and juices (if not on restricted calorie diet), toned and skimmed milk, buttermilk, carbonated beverages, coffee, tea, lemon water, egg white, fresh paneer (made of toned milk), chicken, fish and lean meat, all types of seasonal root and leafy vegetables.
Foods that could be avoided are whole milk ice cream and preparations of whole milk like burfi, Indian sweets, cakes, pastries, condensed milk and khoya, egg yolk, beef, glandular meats, processed cheese, butter, cream, ghee, Dalda, deep fried foods like potato chips, pakora, vada, puri, samosa, soups made with butter, cream and dry nuts.
Some tips:
Avoid deep fried foods. Opt for roasted or grilled foods or snacks.
Use lean cuts of meat and chicken. If you are fond of non-vegetarian, become a fish-e-tarian. Fish contains Omega 3 fatty acids which are very good for your heart.
Switch to boiling, roasting, baking, steaming food or cook with small amounts of vegetable oils with a high polyunsaturated content.
Eat a diet which is high in fibre, as fibre helps to escort cholesterol out of your body.
LILY MADHOK, therapeutic nutritionist, dietician and beautician, will answer queries relating to beauty in this column. Associated with top-notch beauty and health organisations for over three decades, she has a rich reservoir of experiences and suggestions to share with readers. She is the Director of Salon 2000, ITC Park Sheraton. E-mail queries to metro@thehindu.co.in.
LILY MADHOK
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