As with dietary fat, foods with a high dietary cholesterol level are believed by many to raise our blood cholesterol level.
High blood cholesterol is still believed to be linked to heart disease and strokes, and levels should be monitored.
However, 80 percent of all the cholesterol in our blood is actually manufactured by our own bodies.
We need this cholesterol for normal cellular function and to assist in the production of bile, which helps the body digest fat.
Unfortunately, because dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol have been given the same name, people and yes even our trusted advisors take the attitude that dietary cholesterol equals high blood cholesterol.
In fact, blood cholesterol is much more affected by high sugar consumption, high trans-fat consumption and low fiber consumption, while foods high in dietary cholesterol have a negligible effect on blood cholesterol.
Foods high in dietary cholesterol such as eggs, shrimp, lobster, crab, clams, and other shellfish can be safely eaten with literally little to no affect on blood cholesterol levels at all.
But, on the other hand, if highly processed, low fiber foods are part of your everyday dieting regime chances are your triglycerides levels are high making you more susceptible to high LDL (bad) blood cholesterol levels.
So go ahead and eat your egg yolks, shrimp and lobster and cut back on your trans-fats and sweets, then go get your cholesterol checked. I think it will be a SWEET surprise to you and your Doctor on the outcome of your test. No pun intended.
