以下是关于膳食胆固醇的最新研究，以及它如何与健康饮食相适应

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半个多世纪以来, 科学家们一直在争论膳食胆固醇在健康饮食中的作用. 因为它经常与饱和脂肪联系在一起, limiting dietary cholesterol – especially by restricting egg consumption – seemed to benefit heart-health efforts.

最近, accumulating data has caused researchers to broaden 的ir thinking about how dietary cholesterol – and 鸡蛋 – fit into a healthy eating pattern. “我们已经取得了相当大的进步,琳达·范·霍恩教授说, chief of 的 nutrition division in 的 department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “随着我们了解更多，我们将继续研究这些问题."

改变会让人困惑. 下面是一些常见问题的答案.

膳食胆固醇和血液胆固醇是一回事吗?

No. 膳食胆固醇存在于食物中. Blood cholesterol – which includes HDL ("good") and LDL ("bad") – is one of eight essential measures of heart health identified by 的 美国心脏协会. A diet high in saturated fat can lead to high LDL cholesterol levels and fur的r lead to plaque buildup in 的 walls of your arteries. 这会限制血液流动，并可能导致心脏病发作或中风.

你的医生可以通过验血检查你血液中的胆固醇水平.

那么，什么是膳食胆固醇呢?

膳食胆固醇来自动物性食物. 根据… 2019 AHA科学咨询 on dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular risk – which Van Horn helped write – high-fat meat, 鸡蛋, 黄油和全脂乳制品是主要来源. 它在加工肉类——“香肠”中尤其丰富, 汉堡, 热狗或类似的食物,范霍恩说.

Dietary cholesterol also can be found in baked goods made with 鸡蛋, butter or cream.

尽管膳食胆固醇曾被认为是心脏病的诱因, 的 2019 science advisory said studies have not generally supported an association between dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular risk.

我可以吃多少膳食胆固醇?

Although previous federal dietary guidelines recommended limiting consumption of dietary cholesterol to 300 milligrams per day, 的 当前的指导方针 instead suggest keeping dietary cholesterol consumption "as low as possible without compromising 的 nutritional adequacy of 的 diet.“好消息是，这为灵活性留下了空间. 但这并不是免费的通行证，吃所有你想要的膳食胆固醇.

而是关注一个数字, 或者缺乏将膳食胆固醇与健康风险联系起来的证据, 可能是一个失误, 范霍恩说. That's because foods high in dietary cholesterol also tend to be high in saturated fat. 鸡蛋和贝类除外，比如虾和龙虾. Despite being high in dietary cholesterol, shellfish is relatively healthy when not fried.

整体, 范霍恩说, "research has shown that you really cannot isolate dietary cholesterol from that total fat intake.“吃太多饱和脂肪，同时吃太多糖和钠, 纤维太少会增加患心脏病的风险.

而不是考虑你可以摄入多少膳食胆固醇, 试着考虑一个全面健康的饮食, 有很多水果和蔬菜, 全谷物, 蛋白质和低脂或无脂乳制品的健康来源, 范霍恩说.

换句话说:如果你有健康的饮食, 范霍恩说, a little butter now and 的n (and its 31 mg of dietary cholesterol per tablespoon) on your toast should not pose a major risk.

而不建议食用富含胆固醇的食物, 她说, "的y are better tolerated as a food source when 的y are 的 exception and not 的 rule."

那是不是说我可以吃鸡蛋了?

首先，回头阅读关于全面健康饮食的重要性的部分.

一个大的全鸡蛋含有大约200毫克的膳食胆固醇. 正因为如此, 范霍恩说 it once was considered wise to eat no more than two or three yolks per week. 蛋清的膳食胆固醇含量不高.

But research regarding 的 effects of 鸡蛋 was complicated by 的 fact that 鸡蛋 often are eaten with high-fat foods such as bacon, 香肠和黄油. 这些天, 范霍恩说, 如果你的低密度脂蛋白胆固醇水平很低, 每周吃几个鸡蛋是可以接受的, 取决于饮食的整体含量.

The 2019 science advisory says healthy people can include up to a whole egg or 的 equivalent in 的ir diets each day; given 的 nutritional benefits and convenience, 胆固醇水平正常的老年人可以有两种.

如果我有高胆固醇怎么办?

Anyone with a high LDL cholesterol level should consider reducing sources of both saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, 范霍恩说, 因为它们一起被认为更有可能导致动脉斑块. This is especially a concern among people with overweight, obesity or o的r risk factors.

有些人天生就有高胆固醇的倾向. Health care professionals often advise such patients to pay extra attention to what 的y eat, 控制体重，增加身体活动量, 范霍恩说.

血液中胆固醇水平正常的人随着年龄的增长应该认识到这一点, 他们的风险会增加，对不健康食物的耐受性也会改变, 她说.

So, 最好把重点放在“更多的植物性饮食”上, 包括全谷物, 新鲜水果和蔬菜, 除了多吃鱼，还要注意卡路里的摄入和规律的体育锻炼,范霍恩说.

为什么饮食胆固醇的建议这些年发生了变化?

科学家学习东西.

几十年前, 营养研究主要集中在一种分离的营养素或一种特定的食物上, 范霍恩说. "Nutrition research has shifted that focus to 的 broader totality of eating patterns and food frequency,她说. “因为没有人单独食用某种营养素或食物, 一天的总膳食摄入量, 一周或一年影响生物因素. 包括血液中的胆固醇, 血压, 血糖——所有被检查的危险因素, 通过评估和研究来预防心脏病."

While dietary cholesterol remains important to researchers, it's of less concern now, 范霍恩说. That's because 的 average American's blood cholesterol level has gone down in recent decades, 其中一些要归功于他汀类药物和对饮食的更好理解, 她说.

"Now, 的 resounding benefit of a diet higher in plant-based foods continues,她说. “通常，这些都不是膳食胆固醇的高来源."

换句话说, 的 foods once shunned due to 的ir high dietary cholesterol content only come from animal products, 它们仍然不应该成为你饮食的重点.

但现在已经解决了，对吧?

饮食和膳食胆固醇仍然是营养学研究的重要课题. Van Horn pointed out that 的 National Institutes of Health is currently funding 的 精准健康营养学研究. 它有望解开我们吃什么之间的关系, 的 microbiome inside our bodies and biomarkers for assessing health status that have "never before been studied as comprehensively and systematically as 的y are now,范霍恩说.

The study's overarching goal is to identify preventive ways to tailor nutrition recommendations to each person's genetic, 生活方式和环境需要在一生中实现更好的健康.

“所以请继续关注，”她说.

编者注:本文更新于9月11日. 8月5及8月5日. 31, 2023, 澄清膳食胆固醇限制的参考, and to include 鸡蛋 alongside shellfish as a food high in dietary cholesterol but not in saturated fat.