Diet cholesterol warnings withdrawn

US experts: Cholesterol in food "no health risk"

02/21/2015

For decades, doctors and nutrition experts have warned against over-eating cholesterol. Increased consumption of eggs and Co has been associated with health risks to the heart. But US experts now no longer regard cholesterol in food as a health hazard.

For decades, doctors warned against too much cholesterol
Physicians and nutrition experts have warned for decades to consume too many eggs and other high cholesterol foods. It has been considered that such foods have a negative impact on cholesterol levels and thus on the risk of stroke and heart attack. In recent years, however, various studies came to other conclusions. For example, a study from the US and China showed that egg consumption has little effect on harmful LDL cholesterol, which is believed to play a key role in the development of arteriosclerosis and other vascular diseases. US experts now see no reason to warn about cholesterol in food.

Abolish threshold for cholesterol intake
According to a news agency AFP, US experts no longer regard cholesterol in food as a health hazard. Accordingly, the Advisor Committee on Official Nutrition Guidelines advocated abolishing the limit on cholesterol intake. So far in the US, as in Germany, it has been advised not to consume more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day. This amount is, for example, in two small eggs or a good 100 grams of butter. The scientists said that cholesterol is not one of the nutrients whose overconsumption is questionable. They justified this assessment with the results of studies.

Health risk factor high cholesterol
For example, the findings did not show "any significant relationship between cholesterol in food and cholesterol levels in the blood," the US Department of Agriculture said. Although high blood cholesterol is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, cholesterol in the food hardly affects blood lipids. The paper, designed by 14 renowned medical, nutrition and health professionals, is now on the Internet for 45 days before it can be finalized.

Eat more fruits and vegetables
For certain foods, however, it may be a problem that high cholesterol-containing products also contain a lot of saturated fatty acids, against whose excessive consumption in turn should be warned more urgently. It has been recommended so far that no more than ten percent of the calories consumed daily should be saturated fat. This figure should now be lowered to eight percent. With an average intake of 2,000 calories a day, this would mean that saturated fat would be eliminated even after a small amount of butter or a 200 gram steak. According to this bill, the consumption of a dozen eggs a day does not hurt. But the experts generally make a different suggestion to the US citizens: more fruits and vegetables should be eaten. (Ad)