In case of high cholesterol and of hypercholesterolemia it is possible to eat del cheese, or is it better to avoid it? The answer to this question is that it depends on the type of dairy product. In fact, some cheeses do not increase bad cholesterol if taken in doses that are not excessive, because they have a lower quantity of this substance than others.
Having high cholesterol levels in the body is a condition that can lead to serious consequences.
For cholesterol we refer to a fatty substance that the liver produces naturally. Indeed it is helpful for many body functions:
- It is a basic molecule for the synthesis of bile salts, therefore it is involved in the digestive process.
- Helps synthesize vitamin D.
- Helps build cell walls.
- It produces cortisone and sex hormones, which are essential substances for life.
Even if it is produced independently by the body, some cholesterol can also be introduced into the body through food.
Some foods can significantly raise the values of this substance in the body. And also for this reason one healthy and balanced diet it is important for health.
In fact, too much cholesterol in the body can cause it important damage to our body, to the point of provoking serious illness.
There are multiple types of cholesterol. In reality they are not different substances, because what changes is the way in which they come transported inside the body.
Cholesterol must be encapsulated in said protein wraps lipoproteins, so that the blood can carry it. And depending on the type of lipoprotein, one can speak of good or bad cholesterol.
Difference between good cholesterol and bad cholesterol
As noted above, how cholesterol is encased determines what it is good The bad. Indeed:
- The HDL cholesterol it is called good cholesterol. It is encapsulated in the HLD liporotein, and in this way it cleans the arteries (which are blood vessels) of bad cholesterol, and returns it to the liver. This way the blood is free to flow normally.
- The LDL cholesterol it is called bad cholesterol because it has a tendency to settle in the walls of the arteries. In doing so, it forms arteriosclerotic plaques, which limit the passage of blood in the arteries, and in severe cases even block it completely. The more plaques there are, the more the health deteriorates.
- The VLDL cholesterol it is another type of bad cholesterol: VLDL lipoprotein has more triglycerides than the amount found in the cholesterol transported. Excessive values of this type of cholesterol can cause arterial hypertension, and this condition further facilitates the possibility of developing cardiovascular pathologies.
Cheeses that can be eaten even with high cholesterol
Some cheeses feature elevated cholesterol values. These include non-light spreadable cheese, parmesan and pecorino.
These are foods that healthier people don’t have to completely eliminate them from their diet: can choose to consume them in moderation within a varied and balanced diet. By doing so, it is in fact possible to eliminate cholesterol from the body, thanks to the production of good cholesterol that the cheese itself encourages.
Here is the instead ranking of the best cheeses which can be consumed more safely (in normal quantities, that is, without exaggerating) even in the case of already high cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia.
The values shown refer to 100 grams of product:
- Cottage cheese: contain 17 mg of cholesterol;
- Sheep ricotta: 42 mg;
- Light cream cheese: 42 mg;
- Cow’s mozzarella: 46 mg;
- Growth: 53 mg;
- Buffalo mozzarella: 56 mg;
- Cow’s milk ricotta: 57 mg.
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