Where do we get Cholesterol, and do we need to eat foods which contain cholesterol?
• Answer: Our bodies need cholesterol in order to digest fats and to make vitamin D, but we make all the cholesterol we need from the fats we eat.
This is why we don't need to eat foods which contain cholesterol.
1. The liver manufactures cholesterol from foods which contain fats. Eating a diet with moderate amounts of fat and avoiding saturated fat will help to keep our cholesterol levels down.
Saturated fats are found in such foods as meat, cheese, ice cream, and whole milk. (Coconut and palm kernel oil also contain saturated fat, but moderate amounts of these have not been shown to raise cholesterol levels in individuals with normal cholesterol levels on a vegetarian diet.)
2.Foods of animal origin contain cholesterol-especially whole eggs, whole dairy products, meat, chicken and shellfish.
This cholesterol is surplus and is not needed by the body. Eating large amounts of cholesterol-containing foods is one of the reasons for elevated cholesterol levels in the body.
3.Interestingly, animal protein has been demonstrated to elevate cholesterol even without animal fat in the diet.(1)
Ref.: 1. Sirtori, C.R., E. Agradi, et al. "Soybean Protein Diet in the Treatment
of Type II Hyperlipoproteinemia." The Lancet. Feb. 5, 1977, p.275