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Click and View 膽固醇水平過高是常見的健康問題。因此,很多人都認為膽固醇是邪惡,對身體內沒有用處的。事實上,又是否這樣呢?

膽固醇的種類

膽固醇主要可分為,低密度脂蛋白膽固醇 (Low-density lipoprotein, LDL)和高密度脂蛋白膽固醇 (How-density lipoprotein, HDL)。前者負責分配膽固醇到身體各個細胞,以支持正常的新陳代謝。它較容易黏於血管壁上,形成病變;相反,後者負責帶走容易凝結的低密度脂蛋白膽固醇,減低病變的機會。因而,LDL及HDL分別被稱為「『壞』膽固醇」及「『好』膽固醇」。


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膽固醇在身體內的作用

其實,膽固醇對我們的身體十分重要,因為它是所有細胞膜的主要成份,也是製造腎上腺素荷爾蒙、性荷爾蒙、維他命D及膽汁的基本成份,在腦神經細胞中的膽固醇含量是特別多。另外,當身體處於特別情況,例如飢餓時,膽固醇也可被用作身體的能量來源,維持體溫。因此,如果沒有了膽固醇,很多健康毛病便會跑出來了。

過多膽固醇對身體的影響

上文有提及到,高密度脂蛋白膽固醇較容易黏於血管壁上,會進而造成身體不同地方的動脈阻塞。當這些血管被阻塞到達一定程度,血液供應就會被切斷,造成細胞死亡,從而引起不同心血管疾病,如高血壓、心臟病、中風等等。




高膽固醇人士應有的對策

坊間普遍認為,減少食用含豐富膽固醇的食物即可改善膽固醇高的問題。不過,實情並不是這樣的。血液中膽固醇的其中約2 / 3 (約70%) 由肝臟製造,另外1 / 3 (~30%) 則從食物中吸收。要更有效減少血液中的膽固醇,重點當然是放在前者。要減少肝臟製造膽固醇,單靠調節飲食效果並不夠明顯。反而,在膳食中選擇優良的脂肪才是皇道。優良的脂肪是單元不飽和脂肪酸和多元不飽和脂肪酸。單元不飽和脂肪酸的來源為:橄欖油、花生油、牛油果、夏威夷果仁、榛子、杏仁、腰果和合桃;多元不飽和脂肪酸的來源是合桃、深海魚類的魚油、亞麻籽、南瓜子、葵花子和瓜子。它們都能降低血中「壞」膽固醇的水平。而單元不飽和脂肪酸更能提高「好」膽固醇的水平。相反,劣質的脂肪是飽和脂肪和反式脂肪。飽和脂肪通常來自動物脂肪,例如動物的皮下脂肪、牛油,及部分植物脂肪,如椰子油、棕櫚油等;反式脂肪則來自氫化植物油、起酥油、酥皮食物等等。飽和脂肪和反式脂肪均可令血中的「壞」膽固醇的水平升高,但反式脂肪更可令「好」膽固醇的水平降低,大大減低患上心血管病風險。

研究顯示,平時多做運動、放鬆心情、減少壓力加上良好飲食習慣才可以同時降低「壞」膽固醇和提高「好」膽固醇,達至身「心」健康。







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Many people are threatened by hypercholesterolemia, including both LDL-cholesterol and total blood cholesterol level. Therefore, a number of people believes these cholesterols are ‘evils’ and useless in our body. However, are these true?


Classification of Cholesterol In Blood

Cholesterol in blood can be classified into two groups, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The former one is responsible for distributing cholesterol from liver to other cells all over other parts of the body for their normal metabolisms. Because of its sticky nature, LDL-C may easily attach some of its cholesterol onto the wall of the blood vessels, narrowing them and finally leading to various atherosclerosis or stroke. On the other hand, the latter one for carrying away easily attached cholesterol from LDL-cholesterol on the wall of blood vessels, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases due to the narrowing of the blood vessels. Thus, LDL-C is also named as ‘bad’ cholesterol while HDL-C as ‘good’ cholesterol.

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The Use of Cholesterol in Human Body

Actually, cholesterol is vital to us. It is one of the main components of cell membranes, especially in the neural cell membranes, which maintains the fluidity of the membrane. Also, it is used to synthesize epinephrine, sex hormones, vitamin D and bile salts. Under certain special circumstances, for example starvation, cholesterol can be used to generate energy and maintain body temperature. Hence, if the body is in the lack of cholesterol, many associated health problems may appear.



The influence of hypercholesterolemia

As mentioned above, LDL-C is prone to stick onto walls of blood vessels, causing arterial blockages in different parts of the body. When the arteries are blocked to a certain extent, the blood supplies to the cells downstream are cut off and so as oxygen and nutrients supplies. In the lack of essential nutrients and oxygen, these cells die and hence resulting in various cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, etc.

Appropriate strategies of hypercholesterolemia patients

Most of the people misunderstand that the only way to combat hypercholesterolemia is to reduce the exogenous cholesterol from diet. However, it is not the case. It is because two third (~70%) of cholesterol in blood is synthesized endogenously by the liver while the rest (~30%) is absorbed from daily diet. In order to decrease the cholesterol level in blood effectively, the main focus should be put on the former one. To reduce the endogenous biosynthesis of cholesterol in liver, decreasing the intake of cholesterol-rich foods is not the primary way. On the contrary, choosing ‘good’ fats to eat should be the principal way. The good fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The sources of former one are olive oil, peanut oil, avocado, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashew nuts, pecan, etc; those of latter one are walnuts, fish oil of deep sea fishes, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, etc. The good fats can decrease the level of ‘bad’ cholesterol in blood. Moreover, monounsaturated fatty acids can increase level of ‘good’ cholesterol in blood. Oppositely, ‘bad’ fats are saturated fats and trans fat. Saturated fats are from animal subcutaneous fats, butter and some plant oils, including coconut oil and palm oil; Trans fat is come from hydrogenated plant oils, pastry margarine, foods with pastry coatings, etc. These two kinds of fats increase the blood level of ‘bad’ cholesterol and trans fat can even lower the blood level of ‘good’ cholesterol, greatly raising the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

A number of researches indicate that regular exercise, mental relaxation, relieving stress and good eating habits can lower ‘bad’ cholesterol and raise ‘good’ cholesterol level. Then, the hypercholesterolemia patients can be turned into a ‘kind-hearted’ person.



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