Question

How does eating influence high density lipoproteins (HDL) in the body?

Answer 1

Answer: The element with the greatest influence on cholesterol levels is the fat content of food. Not only the amount of cholesterol, but also the type of fat.

Explanation:

Cholesterol is a type of fat found in the body, which is used to make hormones and vitamin D. The liver makes cholesterol to handle these tasks, but cholesterol can also be incorporated into the body through foods such as meat, dairy, and poultry. If you consume a lot of these, the cholesterol levels could become too high.

There are two types of cholesterol:

• High-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good cholesterol”. It transports     the excess of cholesterol to be expelled so it wont end up in the arteries.  

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad cholesterol”. It transports cholesterol to the arteries, where it may collect in artery walls. This could  lead to a buildup of plaque known as atherosclerosis which can increase the risk of blood clots and if one of them breaks away and blocks an artery, it could cause a stroke or heart attack.

If there is a predominance of saturated fatty acids in the fat of the diet, a rise in serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol is caused.  To lower the bad cholesterol, you should limit foods such as milk fats, fatty meats or sausage and include more fibre in your diet.  On the other hand, polyunsaturated fatty acids - for example, those present in seed oils or fish - produce their reduction. Monounsaturated fatty acids, such as those provided by olive oil, act like polyunsaturated ones and, in addition, tend to raise HDL-cholesterol, so their use entails a greater benefit.