What is it?
A kind of fatty acid that is necessary for many body functions. 
 
Why do we need it?
Cholesterol is a precursor for the biosynthesis of steroid hormones, bile acids, and vitamin D. Sometimes you talk about cholesterol as the good and the bad. The good one (HDL) helps transport waste products in the veins and is created by a high intake of foods rich in unsaturated fat; the bad one on the other hand, increases LDL levels which is not beneficial for health. Trans fats found in ready-made foods and cookies for example, causes a higher level of LDL and lower amounts of HDL.
 
The recommendations are to eat less than 300 mg a day.
 

What if I have too much?
A normal person needs to eat around three grams of cholesterol a day through food. Since it is important for the body to get cholesterol, it is transformed from other fat acids if it is not added by food intake. If you eat a lot of food rich in trans fats, the balance between HDL and LDL will not be optimal. Try to get cholesterol through real foods and stick to the recommendations. 

 
Foods to eat:
  • cheeses
  • egg yolks
  • beef
  • pork
  • fish
  • shrimp
 
Foods to reduce your intake of:
  • biscuits
  • cookies
  • pastries
  • ready meals
  • pies/ rolls
  • fried food
  • ice cream
  • chips/ crisps
  • partially hydrogenated canola oil, partially hydrogenated vegetable fat, hydrogenated vegetable oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil, hydrogenated genital alloy vegetable fat, hardened palm oil, hardened vegetable oil, refined vegetable fat, hydrogenated sunflower oil
 
To read more about cholesterol and see what we base our recommendations on, read more here: