Check Cholesterol Food Restrictions - Just Menong

A fad to do a flash blood test in a pharmacy, I found that cholesterol levels in the blood began to exceed the threshold. So my cholesterol levels made me start to learn to avoid foods that are not good for the body and find out healthy snacks. What are the benefits of cholesterol foods? Check it out!

What is cholesterol?

When Menong’s friends hear the word ‘cholesterol,’ they usually imagine a lot of negative things that make the image ‘cholesterol’ look bad in our eyes. The word ‘cholesterol’ is also associated with a poor lifestyle, unhealthy foods, and a barrage of diseases that accompany it.

Cholesterol is often associated with foods that contain high fat. In fact, humans produce cholesterol in the body. Naturally, the liver produces cholesterol as one of the components of fat that plays an important role in maintaining cells and tissues of the body. Cholesterol also helps the body to produce vitamin D, bile acids, and a host of hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol (endocrine system). In addition to being produced in the body, cholesterol is also obtained from the food we consume.

Cholesterol is not soluble in the blood so other compounds are needed that are also produced by the liver to transport cholesterol throughout the body, namely lipoproteins. There are three types of lipoproteins in the body, namely low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which serves to bring cholesterol throughout the body; high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which serves to restore excess cholesterol back to the liver to be removed from the body through feces; and triglycerides, which are formed when the intake of calories in the body is excessive so that triglycerides are used as a source of energy.

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Although useful, of course, everything that is excessive will have a negative impact on our body, as well as cholesterol.

High LDL levels indicate high cholesterol in the body. High cholesterol levels will interfere with the endocrine system until the buildup of cholesterol in the walls of the arteries that cause blood flow to be inhibited. This certainly increases the risk of heart disease or stroke.

High Cholesterol Originator Food

My body mass index is still on a normal scale (ideal), but my cholesterol levels have already been above the normal threshold, aka >200 mg, for a long time. For some reason, since a dozen kilograms ago (more than a decade ago), this value has never moved to a normal number. This is different from Zauji, who has a much larger posture but has normal cholesterol levels.

Although I have never eaten in many portions, the type of food that I like also boosted the ‘well’ of cholesterol levels in my body. What are cholesterol allergies?

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Frilon

Until now, gehu (toge in tofu), bala-bala (bakwan), cireng, and kol-go (fried refrigeration) occupy the throne of fried foods that it feels difficult for me to avoid. For Sundanese, fried foods become mandatory. Moreover, this fry includes snacks that are easy to get and available all the time. Zauji often brings my favorite hot gehu every time I go home for the dawn prayer. This means that this fry seller has been around since the dawn adhan resounded.

Cooking oil, palm oil, has a content of 51% SAFA (Saturated Fatty acid), 39% MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acid) and 10% PUFA (poly fatty). 

Cooking oil used over and over again will have a composition that changes to produce a more SAFA (including trans fats).

Fried food cooked with repetitive cooking oil will contain SAFA and high trans fats so that it can increase cholesterol and LDL levels in our body. It's scary, isn't it? Well, this is the reason why fried foods should be avoided.

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Fast Food

Fast food or fast food is becoming a trend that is much-loved. Fast food is often an option because of its practicality. Rich in calories, fat, salt, and sugar but low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, fast food is one of the triggers of cholesterol rise.

Behind the deliciousness, Menong’s friends should be vigilant because most of the fast food contains 40-60% saturated fat and trans fats. Friends can imagine how fast the number of cholesterol and LDL will go up when we ‘traft’ consume this fast food.

Animal products

We often use animal products as a source of protein and essential amino acids. Familial in our daily lives, fatty meat, processed meat (sosis, bacon), duck meat, innards, egg yolks, cheese, and shrimp are examples of animal products that have a high cholesterol content.

Egg yolks contain the highest cholesterol among food products, with levels of 186 mg of cholesterol, exceeding the daily intake of the recommended maximum cholesterol of 150 mg.

Sugar

Reporting from Healthline, foods and drinks that contain sugar can cause an increase in LDL and glycerides. It is thought that the sugar content in food can trigger cholesterol rise when sugar certainly does not contain saturated or unsaturated fatty acids.

Sugar is a source of calories for the body. When our body consumes excess sugar, excess calories will be stored in the body in the form of triglycerides as energy reserves. In a nursing journal that discusses the association of obesity with the status of lipids, it is presented that triglycerides themselves are the main ingredient in the formation of LDL.

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Obviously, foods and drinks that contain a lot of sugar directly will increase levels of triglycerides and LDL in our bodies.

In addition to avoiding the abstinence of cholesterol foods as much as possible, I also apply targets to lower cholesterol levels in a certain time span. Two weeks later, I went back to check in the lab to reassert the previous results. Thank God, after applying the abstinence of cholesterol foods for two weeks, the number drops down the curve 20 points.

Zauji also began to invite me to regularly cup in a clinic, Thibbun Nabawi. Not to forget, I also apply the diet of Zauji, who regularly consumes multigrain as a mixture of brown rice.

These results are supported by the medical checkup that I did the next week. Doctors do not recommend drugs because cholesterol levels are still below the upper threshold. Doctors only recommend reducing foods that contain high cholesterol, adequate exercise, and eating more vegetables and fruits. Doctors warn of the risk if you do not want to eat high-cholesterol foods. And of course being healthy will be much better, right?