At the age of 49, Mr. Deng discovered elevated blood lipids during a medical examination, so he dared not eat eggs anymore because he heard that eggs contain high cholesterol, which is the culprit for raising blood lipids. So, the question arises, can people with high blood lipids really not eat eggs?
Let’s first look at the cholesterol content in eggs. Every 100 grams of eggs contain around 200mg-300mg of cholesterol. Basically, it’s not a problem to eat 1-2 eggs a day. Egg yolks contain higher cholesterol levels than egg whites. Unless the blood lipids are exceptionally high, and there are severe cardiovascular diseases, when eating eggs, it’s best to avoid egg yolks. For other individuals, there’s no need to deliberately reject eggs.
Eggs are rich in high-quality proteins, vitamins, trace elements, and lecithin. These nutrients are crucial for health. Consuming 1-2 eggs a day for adults not only provides necessary nutrition but also doesn’t pose a significant concern for raising blood lipids.
In fact, for individuals with high blood lipids, the real foods to avoid are the following three, as they have an immediate impact on raising blood lipids.
Firstly, to prevent elevated blood lipids, avoid fried foods.
Almost everything can be fried, but foods fried in oil have uniformly high fat content. Under high temperatures, oils convert cis-fatty acids into trans-fatty acids. Moreover, the oils used in fried foods bought outside are repeatedly reused, which increases the levels of trans-fatty acids. In May 2018, the World Health Organization declared war on trans-fats, planning to eliminate industrially produced trans-fats from the global food supply by 2023. According to the WHO estimates, half a million people die from cardiovascular diseases annually due to trans-fats. Trans-fats are the culprits for raising cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein.
For instance, take youtiao (Chinese fried dough sticks) for example, combining with soy milk has become a popular breakfast choice for many. However, you may not know that one youtiao stick contains 272 kcal, equivalent to 3 bowls of rice.
Secondly, to prevent elevated blood lipids, avoid eating animal brains.
If we talk about the food with the highest fat content, it would be animal brains.
For example, pig brains contain cholesterol as high as 3100mg per 100 grams. Many people use pig brains to cook soup without realizing that consuming them regularly directly leads to skyrocketing blood lipids. Not only pig brains have a high cholesterol content, other brains such as sheep and cow brains also contain high cholesterol. For instance, the cholesterol content in 100 grams of cow brains is 2447mg, and sheep brains contain 2004mg per 100 grams.
Thirdly, to prevent elevated blood lipids, avoid eating animal offal.
Many people enjoy consuming animal offal like pig liver, sheep liver, lamb kidney, beef liver, pig intestines, donkey intestines, pig lungs, pig heart, and chicken offal, often cooked through soup, braised, or stew methods. However, animal offal also contains high levels of cholesterol. For instance, pig kidneys have 354mg per 100 grams, sheep livers contain 349mg per 100 grams, and beef lungs have 306mg per 100 grams.
Many people underestimate high blood lipids. However, over time, high blood lipids can lead to atherosclerosis. Poor long-term blood lipid control can also trigger hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cause significant damage to the pancreas and liver. High blood lipids can induce acute pancreatitis and fatty liver. To stay away from high blood lipids, besides reducing the consumption of foods that significantly raise blood lipids, you should also do the following:
1. Maintain regular exercise to better control weight, stabilize blood lipids.
2. Consume more high-fiber foods daily, aiding in fat absorption. Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are excellent choices for this purpose.
3. For individuals with chronic conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular diseases, statins should also be used to stabilize blood lipids.
