Is high blood lipid caused by eating too much meat and fish? Will eating more vegetarian food help?

Many people have found after physical examination

The body that was flawless back then

Now physical examination is as exciting as lottery

Once I got the report

Three highs have already occupied one high

It's so heartbreaking.

High blood lipids are especially likely to come to you

Seriously reflect on the reasons

Many people criticize themselves harshly:

"It must be because we eat too much meat and fish.

Start being a vegetarian today! "

So, if you want to lower blood lipids

Is it really enough to just give up meat and eat vegetarian food?

This statement is actually a misunderstanding of hyperlipidemia.

Hyperlipidemia usually refers to elevated serum cholesterol or triglyceride levels, elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Although diet is an important factor affecting hyperlipidemia, the cause cannot be simply summarized as eating too much meat and too few vegetables.

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The root cause of high blood lipids caused by unreasonable diet is the intake of these foods:

Saturated and trans fatty acids

These fats are so-called "bad fats". If you consume too much of them, they will increase the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in your body. Atherosclerosis, which we often hear about, is related to it.

So which foods contain saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids?

Foods high in saturated fatty acids : animal fats such as animal offal, skin, fat, lard, and tallow, dairy fats such as cream and butter, and vegetable oils such as coconut oil and palm oil;

Foods high in trans fatty acids: Most processed foods containing hydrogenated oils in the ingredient list, such as biscuits, egg tarts, puff pastry, etc., as well as high-temperature stir-fried or fried foods.

It can be seen that in addition to meat, ordinary dairy products, vegetable oils, and unreasonable cooking methods will still produce saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids.

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Just not eating meat is probably only a temporary solution and not a permanent cure, especially if you don't change your cooking habits and often cook by methods such as stir-frying, braising, pan-frying, deep-frying, or adding vegetables after the oil smokes , then high blood lipids will still be easy to develop.

Added sugar

Added sugar refers to sugar added to food or beverages during the food production and preparation process, including monosaccharides and disaccharides. Sucrose, fructose, glucose, fructose syrup , etc. that you often see in the ingredient list are all considered added sugars.

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If the human body consumes too much added sugar, it will be converted into triglycerides in the body, thereby increasing the risk of hyperlipidemia.

According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2022", it is recommended that:

The daily intake of added sugar should not exceed 50 grams , and it is best to control it below 25 grams.

Refined rice and flour

Refined rice and refined noodles are the most common refined carbohydrates in our lives, and their glycemic index and glycemic load are both high. If they are consumed in excess for a long time, they can easily cause insulin resistance, inhibit triglyceride metabolism, and induce hyperlipidemia.

Generally, carbohydrate intake accounts for 50-60% of the total energy for the day. An adult's daily carbohydrate intake is between 225 and 300 grams.

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If you want to lower your blood lipids, it is recommended to reduce the intake of refined rice and flour, and eat more whole grains and fresh vegetables rich in dietary fiber.

High dietary fiber can improve the body's insulin sensitivity, which is beneficial to the regulation of lipid metabolism, thereby lowering blood lipid levels.

Of course, this does not mean that blood lipids will not increase if eating habits are improved.

In addition to dietary factors, hyperlipidemia is also affected by factors such as thyroid hormone and estrogen . In addition to eating well, these factors also require continuous attention.

Meat is one of the important sources of protein in our daily life. It is also rich in trace elements such as iron and zinc, as well as water-soluble vitamins B2, B6, B12 , etc.

If you do not eat meat for a long time, you may suffer from a deficiency of these nutrients.

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Therefore, eating vegetarian food does not mean being healthy. Meat is very important to everyone and we should eat it.

Of course, being able to eat meat does not mean that you can eat without restraint. There are still some things that patients with hyperlipidemia need to pay attention to when eating meat:

Try to choose fish, shrimp, skinless poultry, lean meat, etc. that are lower in fat;

You should also eat enough protein-rich foods such as low-fat or skim milk, eggs, and beans .

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If you want to control high blood lipids, don't blame it all on eating meat. What's more important is to control your diet, move your legs, and have regular physical examinations. Be sure to see a doctor when necessary.

Statement: This article is a medical-related educational popular science article. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors and cannot replace hospital visits.

Experts who reviewed this article

References

[1] Wang Jing. Correlation analysis between body mass index and hypertension, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia in physical examination population[J]. Primary Medicine Forum, 2023, 27(14): 116-118. DOI: 10.19435/j.1672-1721.2023.14.039.

[2] Wang Hua, Cai Guoliang. Evidence-based research progress on combined intervention of exercise and diet for hyperlipidemia[J]. Sichuan Sports Science, 2022, 41(01): 31-36+80. DOI: 10.13932/j.cnki.sctykx.2022.01.08.

[3] Wang Hua, Cai Guoliang. Evidence-based research progress on combined intervention of exercise and diet for hyperlipidemia[J]. Sichuan Sports Science, 2022, 41(01): 31-36+80. DOI: 10.13932/j.cnki.sctykx.2022.01.08.

Content Production

Editor: Zhang Fuyao

Map: Eastern Zhou Dynasty