24vita
Health
Created: 2/19/2023, 9:43 p.m
Von: Natalie Hull Drawbar
Split
In order to reduce the risk of hardening of the arteries and ultimately heart attack or stroke, you should focus more on foods with unsaturated fatty acids in your diet and avoid saturated fats such as in dairy products and meat.
1 / 15 Freshly brewed coffee with an extra cap of milk froth – for many a must at home or in their favorite café. But both coffee and milk are not only delicious, they also pose a risk to blood vessels. © David Aguero/Imago
2 / 15 Cafestol and kahweol found in coffee can increase blood cholesterol. These substances from the coffee fruit inhibit enzymes that break down cholesterol in the liver. It is better to drink the pick-me-up filtered than unfiltered, as cafestol and kahweol mostly remain in the filter. © Britta Pedersen/dpa
3 / 15 Start the day with a healthy breakfast consisting of oatmeal, bananas, apples and blueberries, mmm delicious! But be careful – if your cholesterol level is already too high or you should make sure that it does not rise any further, when choosing milk, look for low-fat products with a fat content of 1.5 percent. It is better to avoid whole milk, as it is rich in saturated fatty acids, which in particular increase the harmful LDL cholesterol in the body. © Shingo Tosha/AFLO/Imago
4 / 15 People with high cholesterol levels should also be careful with fatty yoghurt and quark. The high proportion of saturated fatty acids influences the LDL concentration in the blood. Better to pay attention to a lower fat content of no more than three percent. © keko64/Imago
5 / 15 Kefir or buttermilk are also high in saturated fats, which, if consumed regularly, raise LDL cholesterol, increasing the risk of vascular plaque and cardiovascular disease. © Fascinadora/Imago
6 / 15 The delicious croissants literally invite you to be dunked in the coffee. However, puff pastry products such as croissants contain unsaturated fatty acids and trans fats that promote high cholesterol levels. © Jo Kirchherr/Imago
7 / 15 Sweet or greasy spreads often contain palm fat, which can increase harmful LDL cholesterol in the body if consumed regularly. This promotes deposits in the vessels, which in the worst case can clog them. The result can be a dangerous thrombosis that leads to a heart attack or stroke. © Monkey Business/Imago
8 / 15 On the other hand, if you regularly prefer bread and butter without a spread, this might also affect your cholesterol levels sooner or later. Butter consists of regarding 16 percent water and 80 to 82 percent milk fat. This consists of 54 percent saturated, 23 percent monounsaturated and regarding two percent polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Saturated fat is thought to be responsible for the increase in harmful LDL cholesterol in the blood. Eating less or no butter reduces the risk of vascular deposits, arteriosclerosis and the consequent heart attack and stroke. © hecke/Imago
9 / 15 For some people, the daily breakfast egg is simply part of a good start to the day. While eggs are healthy with zinc, iron, and selenium, they’re also high in saturated fat, which promotes harmful LDL cholesterol in the body. If your cholesterol is already too high, you should avoid eggs altogether until the levels have gone down once more. And even following that, it is recommended not to eat more than three to four times a week an egg. © Peter Widmann/Imago
10 / 15 If you want to fry your dishes less with unsaturated fatty acids from the butter, you may use the supposedly healthier coconut fat. But beware: Coconut fat alone consists of 92 percent saturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acids from sunflower oil, rapeseed oil or olive oil are recommended for cooking and frying. © HeikeRau/Imago
11 / 15 For lunch there is sometimes a roll with cheese or sausage to hand. What looks and tastes delicious can be critical for the cholesterol level in the body. In particular, cheeses with a high fat content (over 3 percent) and fatty sausages contain saturated fatty acids, which increase the lipid content in the blood and vessels. © matka/Imago
12 / 15 Or would you prefer a quick portion of French fries at lunchtime? French fries contain over 2.3 grams of saturated fatty acids per 100 grams, which increases the risk of high cholesterol and vascular deposits if consumed regularly. In addition, ready meals and so-called “fast food” such as french fries, pizza and burgers usually contain trans fats. It has been proven that trans fats can increase cholesterol levels, cause vascular deposits and thus promote cardiovascular diseases. © Vaivirga/Imago
13 / 15 How regarding a hearty roast beef for dinner with vegetables and potatoes tossed in butter? If you only enjoy such dishes every now and then, it may not harm your cholesterol levels. But regular consumption of meat high in saturated fat can raise your cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of vascular plaque and cardiovascular disease. © Monkey Business/Imago
14 / 15 If you then prefer pizza for dinner, you might not do your vessels any good. Here, too, the measure is crucial. The occasional pizza doesn’t do any lasting damage to cholesterol levels, but regular consumption may require caution, especially if it’s highly processed pizza. These are frozen and fast-food pizzas made with other processed foods, such as sausage and cheese. Researchers now know that high consumption of highly processed foods is linked to increased LDL cholesterol and risk of heart disease. © TonyGravante/Imago
15 / 15 What’s for dessert today or as a snack in between? Ice cream is almost always an option for most people. But here, too, caution is advised if the ice cream varieties contain a high proportion of saturated fat from milk and cream. If you tend to have high cholesterol, it is better to replace ice cream with fruit. © Shotshop/Imago
Butter, meat, sausage, chocolate, eggs, whole milk – foods that contain saturated fat and can increase the concentration of harmful LDL cholesterol in the blood and vessels. It is not necessarily just the amount of saturated fat in the food itself that matters, but also how often you eat it. The dose ultimately makes the difference. A balance between the “good” HDL cholesterol and the “harmful” LDL cholesterol is important for the body. An optimal cholesterol level is between 1.8 and 2.0 g per liter of blood. The proportion of “good” cholesterol should be over 0.45 g, the value of “bad” LDL should not exceed 1.6 g per liter of blood.
Keeping cholesterol levels low or lower isn’t difficult: tweak four of your habits to bring your fat levels back into normal range. The LDL cholesterol in the blood and vessels increases when foods with saturated fatty acids are consumed frequently and regularly. If it can no longer be compensated for by the “good” HDL, the risk of fatty deposits in the vessels (plaques), hardening of the arteries and, in the worst case, thrombosis, heart attack or stroke increases. A change in diet to foods with unsaturated fats such as primarily vegetables, fruit, whole grain products, lean meat and low-fat dairy products is recommended.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions regarding clinical pictures.
