3 myths about cholesterol. Relevant not only for the elderly

3 myths about cholesterol. Relevant not only for the elderly

We deal with whether you should give up all products with this substance.

fitness manager of the Pride Fitness network

What popular claims about cholesterol are false?

The first myth: cholesterol is an absolute evil

In the mass consciousness, cholesterol is almost demonized. Many people think that it is synonymous with disease and excess weight. But it’s not that simple. In fact, cholesterol is actively involved in the synthesis of vitamin D, male and female sex hormones, is extremely important for maintaining muscle tone, insulin synthesis and in general for immunity.

That is, in certain amounts of cholesterol is necessary for the body. And it should be divided into “bad” and “good”. If we use scientific terminology, we are talking about low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). And when there is too much of the former, cholesterol can build up on the walls of blood vessels. And this increases the risk of heart failure, stroke, heart attack and other diseases.

Belangrijk: at first, the problem may not manifest itself in any way in everyday life. That is, even with high cholesterol, you can feel fine. Therefore, those who are in risk groups should regularly monitor the level of this substance in the blood. Keeping cholesterol under control is not so difficult: you need to move regularly and follow a diet, excluding harmful fats from the diet.

The same can be said about meat and milk: it is a bad idea to exclude them completely. It is important to know the measure and limit fatty pork, meat by-products, as well as fried dishes. From the point of view of a healthy diet, the priority should be lean meats and poultry, ideally steamed or boiled.