Cholesterol
Cholesterol: a vital fatty substance that the body largely makes itself. Too much LDL damages the blood vessels. Healthy fats and fibre help.
Ausführlich erklärt
Cholesterol isn't a poison but a building block: every cell membrane, many hormones and the bile acids are made from it. Around three quarters of your cholesterol is produced by your body itself, mainly by the liver – only a small part comes directly from food. That's why the old fear of the breakfast egg is largely outdated.
Because fat doesn't dissolve in water, cholesterol travels through the blood in transport packages. LDL delivers it to the cells; if too much of it is circulating, it builds up in the vessel walls and promotes hardening of the arteries. HDL collects excess cholesterol again. That's why LDL is the value you want to keep low. For healthy people at low risk, the European guidelines (ESC/EAS 2019) set a target LDL level below 116 mg/dl (3.0 mmol/l); anyone who already has diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease is given lower individual targets.
What drives LDL up is mainly saturated fats and trans fats – in other words, lots of sausages and cold meats, high-fat dairy products, packaged pastries and biscuits, and fried food. Belly fat and lack of exercise also lower protective HDL and push up triglycerides. Unsaturated fats (rapeseed oil, olive oil, nuts, fish), fibre and regular exercise have a favourable effect. The beta-glucans in oats are well documented: around 3 grams a day – the amount in roughly 70 to 80 grams of oats – lowered LDL by about 5% in studies.
In some families, high levels are inherited: familial hypercholesterolaemia affects about one in 250 people, often goes undetected and responds well to treatment. If parents or grandparents had a heart attack at an early age, a blood test is worthwhile, for the children too – ask about it at your GP's or paediatrician's.
In Germany's routine health check-up, cholesterol is measured every three years from the age of 35; between 18 and 34, only if there's an increased risk, such as heart disease in the family. For most people, plenty of exercise, less belly fat and swapping butter for oil achieve more than any single food rule.