Cholesterol Balance and Cardiac Nutrition: Analyzing the Battle Between "Good" and "Bad" Fat, Protective Diets, and the Cardiotonic Effects of Omega-3 [i]

Cholesterol is a crucial type of fat in the human body, playing many vital roles. It participates in building cell membranes and also functions in hormone secretion. Two-thirds of the cholesterol needed by the body is secreted by the body itself, while the remaining one-third is obtained through diet. The main sources of cholesterol are eggs, dairy products, cheese, and meat. In the body, cholesterol is bound to proteins. Cholesterol is classified into bad cholesterol (LDL, or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and good cholesterol (HDL, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). If there is a high level of LDL in the blood, the excess LDL can adhere to the walls of arteries, narrowing them. Conversely, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) has a protective function; it seeks out excess cholesterol in cells and arteries and transports it to the liver for processing. Therefore, the higher the HDL level in the blood, the better. Researchers have tried to identify health risk factors by analyzing the ratio between the two cholesterol levels: the ideal ratio between total cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol should be less than 4. For example, if the total cholesterol level is 240 mg/dL of serum, and the HDL cholesterol level is 60, then the already high cholesterol level seems relatively mild (because 240:60 = 4). If the total cholesterol level is 200, this value seems fine, but if the HDL level is only 30, then there is a problem, because 200:30 ≈ 6.66, such a ratio is too high. Heart disease patients should, in principle, eat low-cholesterol foods. The general guideline is: eating a predominantly plant-based diet is more beneficial to heart health than eating foods rich in animal fat. For every 1% decrease in cholesterol levels, the risk of coronary cardiovascular disease decreases by 2%. Recommendations for consuming heart-healthy foods: reduce fat intake. Animal fat should constitute only a small portion of the entire diet; the rest should be high-quality unsaturated vegetable oils. Fresh vegetables, lettuce, and fruits not only enrich the diet, but the vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and plant elements they contain can protect the heart and keep you energetic. Carbohydrates should account for 60%–70% of the total food intake. Whole-bread and whole-wheat pastries should replace white bread and toasted white bread slices. Foods rich in carbohydrates are low in fat, low in calories, but very filling and don't easily induce hunger. The types of fats consumed play a significant role in the occurrence and aggravation of heart and circulatory diseases. The balance between saturated fatty acids from animal sources and unsaturated fatty acids from plants and fish is increasingly important. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential components of cells, enhancing cell flexibility and skin suppleness, and acting on different cell types. Furthermore, they are the precursors to eicosanes, elements that, like hormones, control many vital bodily functions, such as blood pressure, blood clotting, and blood lipid levels. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids often have adverse effects on these systems; therefore, it is important to maintain a balanced ratio between them and other messenger elements that play a crucial role in health. An interesting finding is that the Inuit people living in Greenland have almost no knowledge of what a myocardial infarction is. Although they consume fatty marine mammals and fish, their diet is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which provide excellent protection against myocardial infarction. Conversely, their relatives living in Denmark, who have changed their diets and no longer consume fatty fish, almost never suffer from these diseases. Aside from metabolic factors (partly due to genetics), most diseases are caused by lifestyle factors such as psychological and physical stress, alcohol and nicotine abuse, lack of exercise, and improper diet. These lifestyle diseases are major killers of modern health and quality of life. [i]