why does a diet high un plants and plant products hace relatively low cholesterol levels compared with a diet involving high amounts of animal prodoucts?
Respuestas
Respuesta:
The element with the greatest influence on cholesterol levels is the fat content of food. Not only the amount of it influences, but also the type of fat. Fat is made up of basic components called fatty acids. There are three types of fatty acids: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated.
Influence of diet and exercise on cholesterol levels If there is a predominance of saturated fatty acids in the fat of the diet - those contained in beef, whole milk and its derivatives, or sausages - an elevation of serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol.
In contrast, polyunsaturated fatty acids - for example, those present in seed oils or fish - cause their decrease; monounsaturates, like those provided by olive oil, act like polyunsaturates and, in addition, tend to raise HDL-cholesterol, so their use brings greater benefits.
The cholesterol content of the diet influences less than the qualitative composition of its fat in the variations of serum cholesterol. However, regular consumption of products with high cholesterol content increases the blood level of cholesterol and its LDL fraction.
If more than 60% of the calories in the diet are taken in the form of simple carbohydrates (sugars), the level of HDL cholesterol can be decreased. In contrast, when dietary fat is replaced by complex carbohydrates - contained mainly in vegetables, legumes, fruit or bread - beneficial effects on metabolism are induced, by lowering total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol.
The fiber contained in foods such as vegetables, legumes and fruit - called soluble fiber - also reduces total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. Foods rich in insoluble fiber such as bran lack this effect. Finally, moderate alcohol intake, the equivalent of two glasses of wine per day, causes an elevation of HDL-cholesterol.