Foods with cholesterol

Which ones are they?

What Are Foods With Cholesterol ?

Since cholesterol is a steroid present only in the cells of the animal kingdom, it is not difficult to distinguish between foods that contain it and foods that are totally devoid of it ( cholesterol-free foods ).
Foods with cholesterol mainly fall into 5 food groups :

• Fats for seasoning or preservation, of animal origin (butter, lard , lard , suet, tallow, etc.)
• Milk and derivatives (milk from any animal, yoghurt , ricotta and cheese )
• Meat ( muscles and fifth quarter)
• Fish and fishery products (all fish, molluscs and crustaceans )
• Eggs (all eggs)

However, it is not uncommon to find moderate amounts of cholesterol even in foods belonging to other groups that require the addition of ingredients of animal origin:

• Fresh pastry (ALL the basics of fresh pastry)
• Dry pastries (biscuits, meringues )
• Bakery products ( crackers and the like, breadsticks , some types of bread )
• Egg pasta (dry and fresh)

The excessive intake of dietary cholesterol (which represents 30% of circulating cholesterol) associated with that of saturated or hydrogenated fatty acids (especially in the trans form) is a determining factor in the onset and maintenance of hypercholesterolemia; this kind of alteration involves the excessive elevation of LDL lipoproteins ( low density lipoproteins ) to the detriment of those which instead remove peripheral cholesterol and lead it towards the liver , the HDLs (high density lipoproteins). This leads to an increase in cardiovascular riskand therefore the manifestation of highly disabling pathological events ( cardiac or cerebral ischemia ) or premature death.

Cholesterol content in foods

Foods with cholesterol should be evaluated according to the net content of the steroid (per 100g of edible portion), as the relative concentrations can vary significantly from one food or from one group to another. It can be defined with certainty that the foods characterized by the highest cholesterol content (expressed below per 100 g of product) are:

• Some offal: brain (>2000mg per 100g), kidney (350-400mg), liver (about 200mg) and heart (>150mg)
• All eggs (at least 370mg)
• Seasoning animal fats : butter (250mg), lard (about 100mg) etc
• Spoon desserts and pastries in general [cholesterol content not well determined but certainly very high]
• Shellfish: Prawns (150mg), Canned Crab (100mg) etc.
• Bivalve molluscs : oyster (150mg), mussel (120mg) etc.
• All aged dairy products (ranging from 70 to 110mg)
• Fatty meats or poultry with skin (ranging from 70 to 90mg)

Although it is not advisable to frequently consume foods with a lot of cholesterol, it should be specified that the values ​​shown above refer to a net weight of 100g; therefore, foods with a high frequency of consumption MA characterized by very small weights such as Parmigiano Reggiano (5-10g on the first course ) do not represent a risk factor for hypercholesterolemia . On the contrary, foods that often represent a reason for abuse are eggs, fatty meats, other cheeses used as dishes, seasoning fats and sweets.
In case of pre-existing cholesterol alterations ( genetic, family or environmental), it is advisable to moderate the exogenous intakeof cholesterol to no more than 200mg/day, and to accompany foods that contain it with other foods that instead counteract its absorption, among these: legumes , vegetables , fruit and soybean oil . They bring phytosterols , fiber and lecithin which dilute, imprison or bind dietary cholesterol in the intestine , hindering its absorption; in parallel, many foods of plant origin contain polyphenols and polyunsaturated fatty acids which contribute significantly to the reduction ofblood cholesterol and optimization of the HDL/LDL ratio .