If you suffer from cholesterol, can you eat foie gras for the holidays?
- 100 grams of foie gras contains between 350 milligrams and 1 gram of cholesterol.
- People with cholesterol can eat foie gras during the holidays, but in moderation.
- For people with cholesterol, it is advisable to limit fatty foods during the holidays, but not to completely deprive yourself of them.
According to French Federation of Cardiologypraround 20% of the adult population presents a hypercholesterolemia, that is to say an excess of cholesterol in the blood. People who suffer from this pathology must watch their diet and not eat too much fat. But a few days before Christmas Eve, is foie gras allowed?
Cholesterol: foie gras allowed but in moderation
“Nothing prohibited, except in serious cases, explains François Dievart, cardiologist, CNEWS. For a good slice of foie gras, there are no problems.“The practitioner therefore wants to be reassuring while warning”that we should not exaggerate.“In fact, 100 grams of foie gras contains between 350 milligrams and 1 gram of cholesterol.
Foie gras is therefore authorized but not unlimited. And what people with cholesterol should especially watch out for is the buildup this holiday season. At this time, meals are generally copious and composed of a lot of fatty foods such as dishes with sauces, cold meats or even cheese.
If in doubt, cholesterol can be screened by a blood test taken on an empty stomach. The risk of having cholesterol increases with age. Thus, from the age of 50, the systematic cholesterol measurement is carried out every five years for women and every three years for men.
With cholesterol, it is better to limit fatty foods
In the body, cholesterol is an essential lipid that circulates freely in the blood. Two proteins are responsible for its transport in the body: high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which correspond to good cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL), for bad cholesterol.
HDL prevents the formation of plaques on the walls of the arteries and brings excess cholesterol accumulated in the organs to the liver so that it can be eliminated. On the other hand, LDL distributes excess cholesterol to the different organs, which promotes lipid deposition on the artery walls and therefore the appearance of plaques. It is therefore the LDL that must be monitored.
To limit cholesterol during the holidays, the advice is to eat in moderation and to limit foods that are too fatty. You can also ask for the sauce to be on the side so you can eat the dish without adding any.
