Doctor's Advice Column:
Dear Doctor, I am 54 years old and a vegetarian. I often eat at vegetarian restaurants and have avoided meat for over half a year. Why is my blood cholesterol still so high and not decreasing?
Ms. Huang
Expert Respondent: He Qing, Director of the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University
Hello, from a nutritional perspective, vegetarianism is a new trend in healthy eating. However, many people only know that being vegetarian is healthy but don't know how to eat in a way that achieves health benefits.
A true vegetarian's diet consists almost entirely of natural foods, with every meal being a pure "farm-to-table" meal—not much oil, very few meat dishes, and very fresh ingredients. In addition, to compensate for deficiencies in nutrients like zinc and iron caused by a vegetarian diet, they also consume a moderate amount of fortified foods daily. Because they reduce the intake of animal fats and consume a relatively high amount of dietary fiber, their blood cholesterol levels should be relatively low.
But since your cholesterol remains high after adopting a vegetarian diet, you should look for the reasons in your food choices and eating habits.
You mentioned that you like to eat at vegetarian restaurants. It's important to note that while these restaurants claim to be vegetarian, to attract customers, their "vegetarian dishes" are often cooked with excessive oil. This way of eating leads to too much intake of carbohydrates and fat, and insufficient protein intake. Strictly speaking, this is less healthy than a diet with fish and meat. A long-term diet high in calories and fat like this makes it difficult for your cholesterol to return to a normal level.
If you have high blood cholesterol, it is recommended to consume 25-30 grams of dietary fiber daily, as the soluble fiber in it can lower blood cholesterol levels. Oatmeal is an excellent food; 100 grams of oatmeal contains 5 grams of soluble fiber.
Cholesterol also has another "nemesis": plant sterols. Daily intake of plant sterols can effectively lower cholesterol. Unfortunately, there are very few natural foods rich in plant sterols, so the nutrition community generally recommends consuming 2-3 grams of plant sterols daily from fortified foods, such as drinking a 200ml glass of fortified orange juice daily. Of course, for vegetarians to lower their cholesterol, they must also combine this with a low-fat diet for it to be effective.
To increase the intake of protein, iron, B vitamins, and other nutrients, a proper vegetarian diet requires eating a variety of legumes, iron-rich foods and vegetables in moderation, such as sesame, celery, spinach, kelp, and wood ear fungus. The diet should be based on whole grains and include more fruits. You can also prepare a small amount of nuts (such as pistachios, walnuts, peanuts) as daily snacks. This not only prevents a deficiency in fatty acids but also provides a sense of fullness, preventing hunger. This way, you can maintain a vegetarian diet while still getting adequate nutrition.
A healthy vegetarian is generally also someone who exercises regularly. If you want to lose weight through a vegetarian diet, don't forget to exercise. Finally, I wish you good health and hope your cholesterol returns to a healthy level soon.