Cholesterol....
the good and the bad
Darlene Booth RNC

If you think that by cutting eggs out of your diet your cholesterol worries are over, you may want to think again. We have been led to believe that by cutting down on our consumption of dietary cholesterol, we are eating a healthy diet. Unfortunately this is more of a food industry campaign than a health reality. Just because a food contains cholesterol does not mean that it is always bad for you and just because it is cholesterol free does not mean it will promote health. Eggs are likely one of the most misunderstood foods in recent years. While it does indeed have a high cholesterol count, this perfectly balanced protein also contains lecithin, which in turn, emulsifies fats [cholesterol] so they can be metabolized and removed from the body. Some studies are actually showing that eating eggs can actually improve your blood cholesterol profile. Cholesterol is absolutely essential to good health. Our body produces cholesterol in the liver and intestines and it is needed to build cell membranes, produce hormones and aid in carbohydrate metabolism. When we are dealing with cholesterol, it is not the total amount of cholesterol in the blood that is important so much as the ratio of good cholesterol [HDL] to bad cholesterol [LDL]. High-density lipoproteins [HDLs] are composed primarily of lecithin and they assist in transporting cholesterol to the liver for processing and removal. Low-density lipoproteins [LDLs] are responsible for transporting cholesterol from the liver out to the cell membranes and arteries where excess may contribute to plaque formation. Your chances of developing heart disease are considerably lower if your levels of HDL are higher than the LDL. Diet and exercise are essential tools in raising HDL levels. Fat consumption should be limited to less than 30% of your daily calories. Avoid consumption of unhealthy dietary fats. This includes hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, fried foods, saturated fat, and any oil that has been heat processed. Plant and fish oils rich in EFA'S are essential to good health. Best sources are butter, olive oil, avocados, cold-water fish, raw nuts and seeds. Avoid margarine. Presently, there is a new "cholesterol lowering" margarine hitting the market which I am not familiar with but I tend to feel that our best food is that which man has least tampered with.