92-year-old Academician Chen has been studying blood lipids for over 50 years and reminds us: besides meat, we should eat fewer of three types of vegetables.

Many people believe that if they have high blood lipids, they should reduce their intake of meat because many meats are high in fat.
Regular consumption can lead to an increase in cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, which in turn can raise lipid levels, leading to blood vessel blockage.
For patients with high blood lipids, controlling diet is an important means of controlling lipids. However, many people’s understanding of controlling diet only stops at eating less meat.
In fact, during the diet process, there are several types of vegetarian foods that people with high blood lipids should try to avoid as much as possible.
What are blood lipids?
Blood lipids are collectively referred to as triglycerides and lipids in plasma, widely present in the body and essential for life.
The main components of blood lipids are triglycerides and cholesterol. Triglycerides are involved in the body’s energy metabolism, providing energy to the body.
Cholesterol is mainly used to synthesize cell membranes, and some hormones also require cholesterol as a raw material. The body’s digestion and absorption cannot be separated from bile acids, which are converted from cholesterol.
Academician Chen Keji
Academician Chen Keji of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has long been engaged in clinical research in internal medicine and specializes in geriatric diseases and cardiovascular diseases. He has studied cardiology twice at the Cardiovascular Institute of the China Medical Sciences Academy.
Academician Chen Keji has more than 50 years of vascular research and investigative research and has his own understanding and unique insights on hyperlipidemia.
Academician Chen Keyi, in collaboration with the Xiyuan Hospital Cardiovascular Research Institute, conducted lipid testing on long-term vegetarian monks. The research results showed that long-term strict vegetarianism and unbalanced diet can easily lead to endogenous fat metabolism disorders.
Although the body is not obese, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases has not decreased. If you frequently eat the following vegetarian foods, it can also cause elevated blood lipids. Hope you can control your diet to avoid jeopardizing your health.
Symptoms of hyperlipidemia, self-check recommended:
1. Dizziness
Patients with hyperlipidemia may experience symptoms such as dizziness. This is mainly because high blood lipids can cause arterial sclerosis, reduced blood flow, and oxygen supply, resulting in cerebral ischemia and hypoxia, leading to dizziness.
2. Cold hands and feet
Although many people experience cold hands and feet, one easily overlooked point is that when blood is thick, there may be obstacles in blood circulation, leading to significant limb ischemia, thus unable to transfer heat to the limbs.
Therefore, when you touch them, you may feel cold, lacking warmth, implying the need to control blood lipids promptly to restore limb circulation.
3. Gradual weight gain
Patients with hyperlipidemia generally have a high food intake and calorie intake. Therefore, if they lack exercise and calorie consumption is insufficient, the ingested fats will be stored subcutaneously. This leads to weight gain and a gradual appearance of obesity.
4. Abnormal color of toenails
Healthy people’s toenails should have a light pink color and a high gloss on the nail surface.
If you often sit down or bend your legs, look down at your toenails. If they appear pale purple, it indicates that the blood is too “thick.” Due to the distance of the feet from the heart and slow blood flow, coupled …
Academician Chen, 92 years old, has been studying blood lipids for over 50 years and reminds: Besides meat, three types of vegetables should be eaten less.
1. Water lily lotus roots
Water lily lotus root, commonly known as “red lotus root,” has a high sugar content and a soft and glutinous texture, perfect for making soup, but unsuitable for people with high blood lipids due to its high starch and carbohydrate content.
Excessive intake of starch and carbohydrates in these patients is not conducive to disease control, so it’s best to eat less. You can moderately consume white lotus root, which has high water content and low starch content, making it an excellent choice.
2. Potatoes
Potatoes are a common vegetable in daily life, prepared in various delicious ways like braised, fried, sliced, or stewed. For those who love potatoes, it is unbearable to skip them for a day. However, it is essential to understand that potatoes are high in starch. Excessive intake will convert to glucose in the body, accumulating as fat over time, which is not conducive to lipid stability.
3. Eggplant
Eggplant is a common vegetable rich in various vitamins, but it is not suitable for people with high blood lipids. Eggplant has a unique internal structure with many holes and soft textures.
During heating and cooking, it absorbs a lot of fat. Those who consume eggplant are likely to exacerbate hyperlipidemia symptoms due to excessive fat intake.
Doctor: Follow these four points in daily life to lower blood lipids effectively.
1. Increase protein intake
In daily life, pay attention to diet and intake of high-quality protein, and also opt for a low-fat diet. Dairy products, soy and legumes, chicken and fish are rich sources of protein. Nuts contain abundant fatty acids.
2. Exercise
Moderate exercise can lower cholesterol levels, increase the amount of high-density lipoprotein in the body, and improve cardiovascular function. It is recommended to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking, swimming, cycling, etc.
3. Regular check-ups
The content of blood lipids can change at any time. In addition to daily prevention, regular visits to the hospital for check-ups will help understand the actual situation of the body. Once abnormalities are detected, timely adjustments and treatments are vital for preventing problems.
4. Quit smoking and drinking
Alcohol and tobacco have a significant impact on blood vessels. The hundreds of harmful substances in tobacco directly damage the endothelium of blood vessels, leading to arteriosclerosis. Long-term excessive drinking can increase triglyceride levels in the blood, triggering hyperlipidemia.
Extended Reading – How often to check blood lipids?
For adults under 40 years old, blood lipid tests should be conducted every 2-5 years.
For adults ≥40 years old, it is recommended to have an annual blood lipid test.
High-risk groups should undergo blood lipid tests according to individualized prevention and treatment needs, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking, and overeating.
For those with cardiovascular diseases and blood lipids not meeting the standard, tests should be done every 1-2 months until they stabilize, and subsequently, once every half a year to a year.
In daily life, by changing dietary habits, increasing exercise, and medication, the risk of hyperlipidemia can be effectively reduced. Additionally, regular monitoring of blood lipid levels and eye health, early detection, and treatment of hyperlipidemia can help protect overall health.