Is dietary cholesterol harmful to our health?
Apart from that, cholesterol is also vital to perform various bodily functions and is required for our survival.
Read on to know if dietary cholesterol can negatively impact our health!
Cholesterol is a wax-like substance that is naturally present in our body. Still, many people dread it without even knowing completely about its importance in maintaining good health. Cholesterol is present in the membrane structure of each cell of our body and is also required to make vitamin D and certain hormones. Apart from that, cholesterol is also vital to perform various bodily functions and is required for our survival.
Contrary to the popular belief, the amount of cholesterol in our diet is not reflective of the amount of cholesterol in our blood. Our body can regulate the amount of cholesterol in the blood by controlling the production of cholesterol as whenever the dietary intake of cholesterol decreases, our body starts to make more of it and when we eat a greater amount of cholesterol our body stops making more of it.
However, in certain individuals (about 40% of the population) high cholesterol intake can also increase their blood cholesterol levels because of various factors, including genetics. Also, cooking cholesterol-rich food at a high temperature can result in the formation of oxysterols, which can result in the development of heart diseases.
Many studies show dietary cholesterol consumption is not associated with a high risk of heart diseases. There are many factors involved in triggering heart problems including oxidative stress, inflammation, smoking, and high blood pressure.
