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Kenya: Although cholesterol has been demonised over the years, it has now emerged that Kenyans’ popular foods that are high in cholesterol such as eggs may not be as bad.
A new nutritional advisory issued by an influential government body in the United States indicates that diets containing cholesterol are not linked to higher risks of developing heart disease, heart attacks, stroke and high blood pressure.
According to the latest advisory contained in the Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, what is of more concern is the cholesterol manufactured inside the body and not the one consumed in food. The experts asserted that cholesterol consumed from foods contributes only a minimal amount (15 per cent) of cholesterol to the body while the rest (more than 85 per cent) is manufactured by the liver. The advisory asserted that cholesterol is not a ‘nutrient of concern’.
RED FLAG
Previously, the general nutritional guidelines had put a red flag against consumption of foods with cholesterol, which had been linked to increased risks of heart disease, thereby spawning a multi-billion-shilling cholesterol-free diet industry.
A Consultant Pathologist with Pathologists Lancet Kenya Laboratories Ahmed Kalebi said doctors in the lab suspected all along the weak link between consumption of cholesterol-rich foods and cholesterol in the blood, which is linked to heart disease. He said some people go on diet against cholesterol-rich foods but still have high cholesterol in their blood and higher risks of developing heart ailments.
On the other hand, some people eat anything but their cholesterol levels in the blood remains relatively low, making their risks of heart disease lower.
“This means the risk of heart disease due to cholesterol is not largely dependent on diet but instead on one’s genetic make-up. Those whose make-up leads to high cholesterol production within their body would therefore need to be identified so they can be put on medication to control their cholesterol levels as diet won’t make a difference,” he said.
He added: “Testing cholesterol in the lab is important to determine people with high cholesterol production as they are then checked further for additional risk factors for cardiovascular disease that will guide their management.”
Dr Kalebi however cautioned that as advised in the report, saturated fat is still a nutrient of concern, thus people should avoid foodstuff that contain high levels of saturated fats in order to minimise risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Saturated fat is found in significant amounts of animal foods such as visible fat on meat and chicken, butter, cream and full fat dairy products, and in plants, palm and coconut oil.
But Consultant Nutritionist and Technical University of Kenya Lecturer Alice Ojwang said despite the advisory, foods rich in cholesterol should be consumed in moderation to ensure overall health.
She cautioned against uncontrolled consumption of animal fats such as fatty red meats and dairy products such as whole milk, butter and cheese as well as trans-fats such as margarines, saying they trigger the body to produce a lot of cholesterol fats that are responsible for heart diseases.
She also took issue with increased consumption of processed foods including white bread and white rice, which enhance cholesterol production in the body and increase risk of heart disease.
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