| “Health & Science”
Cholesterol: The Good and the Bad – How Something
So Essential To One’s Body Can Also Be Harmful
to It. By Yoon Ja-young
The Lunar New Year holidays are over, but as we get
back to our everyday routine, many of us find that the
circumference of our waists has increased during the
time off. Now may be a good time to talk about something
that comes with all the greasy foods we enjoyed _ cholesterol.
Though we have been taught to fear the word, cholesterol
is indispensable for our bodies. It is needed for making
various hormones such as adrenal corticotrophin hormone,
androgen and estrogen, as well as for making cell membranes
and vitamin D. It also makes bile acids, which help
absorb fat-soluble nutrients.
This soft and waxy substance is produced by the liver
or obtained from animal products. Since we have enough
with the amount that our body makes, problems arise
when we take in too much.
It should be kept in mind that there are two kinds of
cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the bad
cholesterol; and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the
good cholesterol that protects against heart attacks.
Having a high LDL cholesterol is what your doctor warns
you about.
The desirable total cholesterol level is less than 200
milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl), and you are at high
risk of heart attack if the level is 240 mg/dl or more.
These people have twice the risk of heart attack as
those with a 200-mg/dl level.
Excessive cholesterol circulating in the blood stream
can cause atherosclerosis, building up on the vessel
walls and clogging them. If continued, atherosclerosis
may lead to coronary heart disease such as myocardial
infarction, more commonly known as a heart attack, or
stroke.
Paik Kyong-son, a housewife in her early 50s, was warned
to lower her elevated blood cholesterol level at a recent
medical checkup. ``If you leave it like this, it may
lead to atherosclerosis and increase the risk for heart
disease,’’ her doctor told her. She is one
of the people suffering from hypercholesterolemia, an
increasingly serious problem in South Korea.
According to research by the Korea Institute of Health
and Social Affairs in 1998, about four out of every
10 adults have blood cholesterol levels higher than
200 mg/dl. The institute has also reported cerebral
diseases and heart diseases, which may be caused by
excessive cholesterol, as two major causes of death
for Koreans each year since 1997.
Doctors point to a Westernized diet and lack of exercise
as the most important factors of high cholesterol. ``You
may call it a disease for rich people. We didn’t
suffer from high cholesterol level when we were engaged
in physical activity all day with little food,’’
said Dr. Ahn Yong-jin, whom Paik consulted.
Ahn recommended she decrease her intake of cholesterol
and saturated fat. To be concrete, she should be moderate
in eating such foods as meat, sausages, dairy products,
chocolate, cakes and crackers _ some of her favorite
foods.
Rather, she should turn to foods rich in fiber, such
as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. ``Soluble fiber
may sweep cholesterol before it reaches the bloodstream.
It also gives you sense of satiation, making you reluctant
to reach for a bag of potato chips,’’ Ahn
explained.
In Paik’s case, she rarely ate egg yolk, which
is known as being heavy in cholesterol. However, her
cholesterol seems to have come from cakes and cookies.
``Most people are careful about egg yolks but often
forget how many eggs are broken into a bowl to make
a cake, cookies, or ice cream,’?he warned.
Since most obese people are categorized as potential
victims of hypercholesterolemia, physical exercise should
go along with a low fat diet to lower the cholesterol
level. ``Exercise burns excess fat and impedes cholesterol
synthesis of the liver,’’ Ahn said. He recommended
she try aerobic exercises such as quick walking.
For those who find it difficult to suddenly change their
habits, doctors suggest various alternatives. ``Dairy
products may be high in cholesterol, yet they provide
calcium, which prevents osteoporosis. Skim milk may
be a good compromise,’’ Ahn explained.
? Lowering Your Cholesterol Level
(Provided by Korean Society of Lipidology and Atherosclerosis)
- Food Tips
1. Avoid fatty meat and processed meat products, such
as bacon, sausage and ham.
2. Choose yogurt rather than ice cream.
3. Drink and cook with skimmed milk instead of whole
milk.
4. Choose baked cookies rather than fried snacks such
as potato chips.
5. Avoid butter, shortening oil, margarine, coffee creamer
and chocolate.
6. When buying bread or cake, avoid high-fat ones such
as pastry, croissant, doughnut and muffin.
7. Read food labels on the packaging to compare the
fat content before you buy food.
- Cooking Tips
1. Trim fat off meat before cooking.
2. Peel off skin and cut off fat when cooking with poultry.
3. Cool off broth to remove the solidified fat.
4. Bake or steam rather than fry.
5. Use soy sauce or vinegar instead of greasy sauce.
6. When you have to fry anyway, make it big with small
amounts of fried flour. Use fresh oil and then use paper
towel soak up the oil right away.
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