There’s cholesterol and then there’s cholesterol: first, there’s dietary cholesterol that’s present in food, such as eggs and prawns; and then there’s blood cholesterol, which is the level present in the bloodstream. It’s blood cholesterol that people need to control in order to remain healthy.
Although it was once believed that certain foods containing dietary cholesterol, such as shellfish, should be avoided, it’s now been established that saturated fat is more influential in raising blood cholesterol than dietary cholesterol itself. Generally, cholesterol from food has very little effect on the blood cholesterol level.
The healthy option is to enjoy a balanced diet while cutting down on saturated fat, rather than exclude foods containing cholesterol. Shellfish is a prime ‘healthy’ candidate. The many species available in the UK are both delicious and extremely nutritious. Not only very low in saturated fat, shellfish also counts towards the recommended two portions of seafood that we’re all advised to eat each week.
Good news for all mollusc lovers: cockles, mussels, oysters, scallops and clams all are very low in cholesterol – about half as much as chicken and much less than red meats. They’re also very low in saturated fat, low in calories and contain Omega-3 fats – so you can eat as much as you like.
As an exception, around one in a 100 people suffers from high blood cholesterol caused by a genetic condition called Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) or Familial Combined Hyperlipidaemia (FCH). Those with this condition often need to be more cautious in their consumption of high-cholesterol foods. Their dietary cholesterol may also need to be carefully managed in line with advice from a doctor or registered dietician.
