Is cholesterol as dangerous as it is always said?

How dangerous is cholesterol actually?
In the supermarkets, numerous foods are explicitly advertised as "cholesterol-free". The concern about the supposedly dangerous ingredient is often great. But cholesterol is actually so harmful?

Cholesterol warnings deleted
Physicians and nutrition experts have warned for decades to ingest too much cholesterol food. Meanwhile, more and more studies indicate that cholesterol in food is only a moderate or no health risk. In the past year, experts in the US even announced that the cholesterol warning for foods such as eggs and butter should be deleted.

Many people consider cholesterol to be unhealthy or even harmful to health. Is the ingredient that is abundant in eggs, but really dangerous? (Image: iprachenko / fotolia.com)

Vital substance is produced by the body
But scientists also point out that cholesterol can be harmful. Most of the vital substance is produced by the body itself. The problem is the LDL cholesterol ("low density lipoprotein"), also called "bad cholesterol". About every third person cholesterol is too high.

Certain foods contain a lot of cholesterol
Too much cholesterol can be a problem, says Prof. Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen, Head of the Department of Nutrition Science of the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. In a message from the news agency dpa, she said that it becomes problematic "if someone takes between 600 and 800 milligrams daily".

According to the expert, the recommendation is "Not more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day." Foods such as eggs, butter, meat or sausage contain a lot of cholesterol, an egg, for example, about 250 milligrams depending on size.

However, US nutrition experts say that in recent studies, there is no association between the consumption of high-cholesterol foods and an increase in cholesterol levels in the body. The discussions about good and bad cholesterol will continue.

High cholesterol levels threaten dangerous diseases
A frequent consequence of an elevated cholesterol level is arteriosclerosis. In this disease, deposits on the insides of the vessels occur, gradually reducing the diameter of the arteries until the affected area is eventually completely blocked. It can cause disorders such as coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, circulatory disorders and renal insufficiency.

Dietary change can help
At high cholesterol levels, a change in diet is usually recommended. If this is not enough, cholesterol-lowering medications are often prescribed. The earliest possible diagnosis was important, emphasized Steinhagen-Thiessen. (Ad)