Dietary FAQ For Dyslipidemia

1. Why do I have high cholesterol in the blood even though I rarely eat meat or fatty foods?

High levels of cholesterol in the blood may be caused by a lot of biosynthesis in the liver, inability to be effectively removed from the body, by eating foods high in saturated or trans fatty acids, or by lack of dietary fiber.

Even vegetarians who do not eat meat at all may have high blood cholesterol. This is because there is more cholesterol in the body that is biosynthesized in the liver than it is through diet. Even if you eat little meat or oily food, your body’s cholesterol levels may be high if too much cholesterol is biosynthesized in your body or is not effectively removed. In addition, even if you are not consuming fatty foods, you may have high cholesterol in your blood if you eat too much foods high in saturated or trans fatty acids, or if you do not have enough dietary fiber.

2. Should patients with dyslipidemia not eat fatty food, meat or eggs at all?

Much of the blood cholesterol is biosynthesized in the liver, and the amount consumed through meals is relatively small, so patients with dyslipidemia do not need to completely limit their consumption of fatty foods, meat, and eggs. Eating a lot of fatty foods should be avoided in terms of consuming too much energy, but eating the right amount of fat is essential for good health.

In addition, people with dyslipidemia should eat meat because they need to consume adequate protein. It is recommended to eat lean meat with low fat instead of high fat content, or to consume adequate amount of protein with white fish, soybeans, tofu, and white flesh of chicken. Egg yolk is known as a typical food with high cholesterol, but egg white can be consumed with confidence.

3. Are LCHF(low-carb, high-fat) meals healthy?

Currently, there are a number of limitations and questions, so we recommend avoiding the extreme LCHF diet. Recently, LCHF meals are gaining much attention as they are known to have a greater weight loss effect than low-fat meals. Compared to low-fat meals, LCHF meals showed a faster weight loss effect in the early stages, but the long-term weight loss effect was similar.

In terms of improving blood lipids, low-carb meals have been reported to be effective in improving HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, so it is recommended to select appropriately according to the individual’s blood lipid status. However, if you limit carbohydrates to an extreme level, ketone bodies may increase, adversely affecting muscles and bones, and the concentration of glucose may decrease due to a decrease in glucose entering the brain. Also, eating an abnormal high-fat diet can increase your intake of saturated fatty acids, which can increase your blood LDL cholesterol levels.

Excessive LCHF meals limit various foods, preventing adequate nutrient intake. It is advised to avoid extreme diets, which are not yet clear, which can cause nutritional problems at this time.