Cholesterol: it is certainly one of the issues we hear about most often. As well as hypercholesterolemia, it is one of the most feared diseases in the last decade.
It is often said that high cholesterol is linked to the abuse of fatty foods. According to clichés and old beliefs, in fact, it would be the fats that affect the increase in bad cholesterol values, causing hypercholesterolemia.
Hypercholesterolemia is one of the most feared pathologies as it would cause the increase in risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. In particular it would be the precursor of strokes and heart attacks as it would clog the arteries.
Many think that the cause of high cholesterol is fat without knowing that these foods that everyone eats would increase the values.
However, cholesterol is a fat, but it is also an important constituent of cell membranes. Therefore it is essential for the body to function properly and without it you could not live.
Nutrition and cholesterol
Many false myths revolve around the role that nutrition plays in increasing this fat. In this regard, many foods such as eggs, omega 6 fats and many others have been demonized for years.
On the contrary, not so much fats as sugars play a key role in the subtle increase in cholesterol. The body is in fact a perfect machine and when higher amounts of cholesterol are introduced with the diet, to balance the values the body will produce less in the liver.
The situation is different for carbohydrates: in fact, the more they are introduced, the greater the production of insulin and the higher the blood sugar levels. In turn, these would further stimulate the activity of the enzyme, resulting in greater production of endogenous cholesterol. In fact, it is especially during the night that there is a greater production of endogenous cholesterol. Therefore, the higher the insulin and triglyceride levels during the night, the greater the production of endogenous cholesterol. In addition, a key role in the increase of cholesterol would be played by stress and depression. Last but not least, cigarette smoking and a sedentary lifestyle.
Food advice
Therefore, even if many think that the cause of high cholesterol is fat, to really increase them would be sugars, highly industrialized products, but also excess calories and the excessive introduction of sugars and foods extremely rich in triglycerides.
Therefore the advice is to check the food you eat especially in the evening hours.
Plus it would be better to prefer complex carbohydrates and limit the consumption of refined starchy products, baked goods and simple sugars.
Statins friend or foe?
In addition, statins, the most popular anti-cholesterol pills of the last decade, have often been used to reduce cholesterol.
However, these pills would block the liver from producing cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart attack. Although these drugs would have many side effects, since they would cause muscle pain, heart failure, liver damage and inhibit the production of vitamin D. This is because they would greatly lower the coenzyme Q10, which is an integral part of the mitochondria membrane. The latter are cellular organelles that allow the body to produce energy.
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