As health awareness grows, vegetarianism is becoming increasingly popular in cities. In the minds of many, a vegetarian diet is certainly beneficial for improving dyslipidemia. However, long-term vegetarianism is not helpful for lowering blood lipids.
Only one-third of cholesterol comes from food, while two-thirds is synthesized by the body itself. Since the factors affecting lipid synthesis and metabolism are quite complex, especially for patients who already have insulin resistance or disorders of fat metabolism, simply controlling the intake of meat and cholesterol may not improve the condition of dyslipidemia. Even with a completely vegetarian diet, improper intake can potentially increase blood lipids.
Family doctors also point out that people often fall into misconceptions when choosing to be vegetarian:
Misconception 1: Too much staple food. Since meat is off the menu, people tend to eat more rice and noodles to avoid hunger. The problem is that modern staple grains are highly processed and contain a large amount of easily absorbable carbohydrates. Excessive intake can be converted into triglycerides and stored in the body. Over time, high blood lipids become inevitable. Mr. Yang is a typical example of excessive staple food intake.
Misconception 2: Poor food choices. To maintain her figure, Ms. Wang, who loves beauty, rarely eats staple foods and even less meat, yet her blood lipids are high year after year. How is this possible? It turns out that as a native of Guangdong, Ms. Wang loves to eat nuts like melon seeds, chestnuts, peanuts, and walnuts. Desserts and milkshakes are also her favorites. Nuts are high in fat, and sweets are high in sugar. This dietary habit can easily lead to excessive fat intake.