Cholesterol is like a fatty substance that is present in your blood. It is generated by the liver and from your food intake to develop vitamins and build cells and hormones. High-cholesterol foods can lead to an excess of cholesterol in the body which tends to increase the risk of heart attacks and heart diseases.

What You Should Know:

What should you know about cholesterol?
5 common myths about cholesterol in food

What should you know about cholesterol?

A common misunderstanding about cholesterol is that all high-cholesterol foods are unhealthy. However, that is not true. Good cholesterol is known as high-density lipoprotein (HDL), whereas bad cholesterol is termed low-density lipoprotein.

HDL is considered good because it gets processed by the liver and is eventually removed from your bloodstream before it can develop plaque on the walls of the arteries. On the other hand, LDL results in atherosclerosis, as it carries the cholesterol straight to the arteries. It increases the risk of heart attacks.

High cholesterol is caused by a poor diet, medical conditions like diabetes and obesity as well as lifestyle-related habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol in excess, and absence of a proper exercise regime.

5 common myths about cholesterol in food

While cholesterol-rich foods might not be the base of your diet, it is certainly a part of a balanced diet. Here are 5 myths about dietary cholesterol that you should stop following.

Myth 1: Eating fats leads to weight gain

Eating healthy foods that are rich in fats can actually be helpful in weight loss. Foods including eggs, avocados, nuts, and full-fat dairy, tend to keep you feeling full during meals to reduce your overall food intake. However, foods with processed fats like fast food and fried foods usually lead to weight gain.

Myth 2: Cholesterol-rich foods are unhealthy

Full-fat yogurt is a rich source of cholesterol but also a rich source of protein and calcium. Other foods like eggs and fatty fish are also rich in vitamin B12 among other vitamins and minerals.

Myth 3: Cholesterol-rich foods should be avoided during pregnancy

Contrary to popular notions, foods containing fats can be essential during pregnancy. Women need more of fat-soluble nutrients like vitamin A and choline. These are nutrients required for both maternal and foetal health.

Myth 4: Fat-free foods are always better

Fat-free foods have a high sugar content which could also lead to heart diseases. Instead, a diet which includes foods that are naturally fat-free or have natural fats could be healthier.

Myth 5: Everyone responds to dietary cholesterol the same way

What should you know about cholesterol?

The body’s response to cholesterol can change from person to person, based on genetics. A person with a family history or genetic disorder that increases heart-disease risk is likely to have a lower capacity to process cholesterol. Whereas, some people might have minimal or no reaction to high dietary cholesterol levels.

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