People with cholesterol should eat a balanced diet and not eat foods that are too rich in saturated fats… Butter is one of them. What are the ideal amounts? What to replace it with?
- It is estimated that 12 million French people suffer from excess LDL cholesterol, according to the scientific work Vidal.
- For healthy people, it is recommended to have a blood test with a lipid profile every 5 years to check the cholesterol level
In France, the cholesterol would be the cause of one heart attack out of two and nearly 20% of the adult population would present a hypercholesterolemia, i.e. an excess of cholesterol in the blood, according to French Federation of Cardiology. Cholesterol can be defined as a lipid essential to the body: it enters into the composition of cell membranes, participates in the production of certain hormones, vitamin D, bile, etc. So there is “good” and “bad” cholesterol.
Good and bad cholesterol
Cholesterol circulates freely in the blood. Two proteins are responsible for transporting it in the body: high density lipoproteins (HDL) which correspond to “good” cholesterol and low density lipoproteins (LDL) for “bad” cholesterol. The latter deteriorates the arteries, promotes the formation of blood clots and is a risk factor for cardiovascular accidents.
Do not eat too many fatty foods
Cholesterol can either be synthesized directly by the body or come from food. It is found in egg yolk, offal, charcuterie, cream or even butter. For the latter as for the others, it should not be consumed in too large quantities because they contain saturated fats which have an impact on LDL cholesterol. For people who suffer from it, it is therefore recommended not to ingest more than 15 grams of butter per day. Do not hesitate to weigh the butter before spreading it on your sandwiches!
In the kitchen, use vegetable oils instead
On the stove side, it is also recommended to cook with as little fat as possible. It is best to use rapeseed oil, olive oil, sunflower, walnut, soy or corn… And not to add too much. To do this, spread a few drops of oil on the surface where you are going to cook your food, then spread it with a paper towel. Thus the entire surface will be covered but with little fat. Finally, in the same vein, always measure the oil with a spoon to season your salads.
Watch out for margarine
Can you substitute butter with margarine? Never as a preventative, only people who already suffer from high cholesterol should consume it. And, even for them, it is better to seek advice from your doctor or nutritionist before buying because all margarines do not have the same composition. The practitioner will therefore tell you which one is best suited to your cholesterol.
A blood test to make the diagnosis
To diagnose a person with cholesterol, the doctor usually orders a blood test with a lipid profile. This assesses HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. These constitute the majority of fats that we eat and that circulate in our blood. Thus, it is generally considered that the total cholesterol level is normal when it is less than or equal to 2g/L.
.