Men more subjected to cholesterol attacks than women

People have stronger health if they consume less adipose and butterfat

It is believed that non-cholesterol diet keeps away from heart and vessel diseases.  Doctor of biological sciences, leading research assistant at the Moscow Immunology Institute Olga Zaikina speaks on the issue.

It is for about one hundred of years already that cholesterol has been declared the cause of atherosclerosis, stenocardia and heart attacks. However, introduction of a non-cholesterol diet is not always a success, because human organisms also produce cholesterol in addition to the one they get from food.

What is more, cholesterol is not always dangerous and unhealthy. There is some cholesterol that prevents atherosclerosis.

- Do you mean that much cholesterol in blood is not always harmful?

First of all, it is important to make additional analyses to define the nature of cholesterol. It is not cholesterol itself but they way it is transported in the blood that actually matters. Lipoproteids, complexes of fat and protein, transport cholesterol in the blood. The dominance of low-density lipoproteids in blood is alarming, as these lipoproteids make cholesterol stick to vessels and cause heart diseases. High-density lipoproteids in fact help take excessive cholesterol out of the organism. 

Women are less subject to heart attacks as they have more “good” cholesterol thanks to the female hormone, estrogen. But when menopause comes, women have as much “good” cholesterol as men.
 
- Does it make sense to keep to a diet in case patients have a normal balance of “good” and “bad” cholesterol?

It is important to keep to a non-fat diet even if your analysis is perfect to prevent serious problems. It often happens that the balance of “good” and “bad” cholesterol may get broken with not young women if they put on the weight, have bad habits and inactive life. People have stronger health if they consume less adipose and butterfat.

- Do you mean people should be vegetarians to remain healthy?

No, people should eat meat and dairy products to get healthy cholesterol. Experts say that even vegetarians who never eat meat may suffer from heart attacks. 
In fact, human organisms need cholesterol, as it forms cell membranes, participates in hormone synthesis and is important for human brain. People should stick to a mixed diet that combines adipose and vegetable fat. Eat less food rich in cholesterol: sturgeon caviar, hard cheese and yolk.

- How can a woman feel her cholesterol level is too high?

High blood pressure will be the first indication of a high cholesterol level in blood. Also, people feel pain in heart when anxious and have problems when walking. Intermittent claudication at that is the result of atherosclerotic plaques in foot arteries.

- Is it true that contraceptive pills raise the cholesterol level in blood?
 
No, modern oral contraceptives do not raise the cholesterol level if women have low cholesterol level and healthy liver.
 
- What are the ways to make the cholesterol level in blood normal?

First of all, it is important to eat low-calorie food or loose weight if necessary. The cholesterol level in blood usually gets normal as soon as people grow thin. Second, eat more beans, citrus fruits, apples and oatmeal. Vegetable fibers that this food contains help fight excessive cholesterol. Remember the saying: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Having oatmeal for breakfast is a really healthy habit.
Beans also help prevent atherosclerosis. People in Asia eat much soybeans and seldom suffer from heart attacks. American researches reveal that soy protein fights “bad” cholesterol in the human organism; it reduces the number of low-density lipoproteids and causes no damage to high-density lipoproteids at that. It is enough to have 25-50g of soy protein a day to keep the balance.
 
Coffee and tea do not influence the fat concentration in blood even though it is traditionally believed they do. Small portions of red wine are favorable for blood vessels.
 
To make the balance of “bad” and “good” cholesterol normal people should do physical exercises regularly. The positive effect of exercises can be seen in six months.
 
High-cholesterol food

Butter, meat fat, lard, palm and cocoa butter, cooking oil and margarine; mutton bacon, fat pork, salami, pate, goose; eggs, whole milk, sour-cream, fat cheese; fish caviar; potato fried with adipose; cakes, fat cookies, ice-cream; fat soup, mayonnaise and other fat dressings.

Low-cholesterol food

Vegetable, corn, olive, soy and cotton-seed oils; chicken, turkey, veal, rabbit meat and game, lean beef, bacon, ham, pork, mutton, liver; low-fat milk, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese; cod, Peter's fish, flounder, herring, mackerel, sardine, tuna-fish and salmon; fresh and frozen vegetables and fruits; beans, soy beans; boiled potato; fresh, stewed or tinned fruits; walnuts, chestnuts; fried or stewed vegetables, almond; food made of oats, rice and corn; non-fat puddings, jelly and sauces; herbs, spices, pepper, non-fat dressings; non-fat meat and fish pate, low-calorie mayonnaise and sour-cream.

Olga Smirnova