Cholesterol is a fatty substance, which is vital to the body. Cholesterol is an important constituent of cell membranes and plays a key role in the formation of hormones and glycocholic acids.
Cholesterol originates in two ways:
- Produced by the body itself; in the liver
- Dietary intake through consumption of saturated fats and dietary cholesterol
A normal blood cholesterol level, recording to European Recommendations, is 190 mg/dl (or 5 mmol/l), but this level is often exceeded. Not only does the total cholesterol level matter, most important is the relationship between the LDL cholesterol (“bad cholesterol”) and HDL cholesterol (“good cholesterol”).
A well-balanced serum cholesterol level is 40 mg/dl (1mmol/l) HDL-cholesterol (50 for women) and max. 115 mg/dl (3mmol/l) LDL-cholesterol. When your total cholesterol thereof exceeds 190 mg/dl (5mmol/l), your total cholesterol level is said to be too high. A cholesterol-lowering diet is then recommended, possibly in combination with lipid-lowering drugs.
It is generally known that raised blood cholesterol values are accompanied by an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. It’s calculated that a 10 % lowering of the total blood cholesterol level reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20 %.
Traditionally, in hypercholesterolaemia, it is recommended that a diet low in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol should be followed.
Soya, being low in saturated fat, has an excellent fatty acid profile.
Not only does soya have excellent fat composition to fit perfectly into a diet low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol, scientific evidence has proven that: “The inclusion of at least 25g of soya protein a day as part of a diet low in saturated fat can help reduce cholesterol in the blood (JHCI)"
References
- National cholesterol education program. Second report of the expert panel on detection, evaluation and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults. (Adult treatment panel II). Circulation 1994; 89: 1329-1445.
- Law MR, Wald NJ &Thompson SG. By how much and how quickly does reduction in serum cholesterol concentration lower risk of ischaemic hearty disease? British Medical Journal 1994; 308: 367-372
- Study Group of the European Atherosclerosis Society: The recognition and management of hyperlipedemia in adults: a policy statement of the European Atherosclerosis Society. Eur. Heart J. 1988; 9: 571-600.
- FDA. Food labelling, Health Claims; soya Protein and Coronary Heart Disease – Final rule. Federal Register 1999; 64: 57699-57733.
- JHCI, www.jhci.co.uk<//font><//u>