Category Archives: Cholesterol

Dietary Fibre: Effective Fat Blocker?

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Dietary fibres are a heterogeneous group of plant polysaccharides. Unlike starches, fibres possess glycosidic bonds that are not hydrolysable by human enzymes. As a result the sugars within the polysaccharides are not digestible and are not absorbed in the small … Continue reading →

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Sucrose Polyesters and Cholesterol Absorption

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Sucrose polyesters (SPE) are a synthetic non-absorbable mixture of hexa-, hepta- and octa-fatty acids that were developed as a weight loss product. Sucrose polyesters have an appearance much like other dietary lipids, but are not absorbed in the small intestine. … Continue reading →

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More on Vitamin C and Cardiovascular Disease

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an important water soluble antioxidant in humans. In this role, vitamin C interacts primarily with glutathione and vitamin E to protect the cell from oxidative stress. Vitamin C can by synthesised in most mammals, but … Continue reading →

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The Major Fat Constituents in the Typical Western Diet

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Robert Barrington

The typical Western diet is the modern diet of the developed nations of North America, Western Europe and Australasia. Evidence suggests that insulin resistance is caused by consumption of the typical Western diet, and this relates to the presence of … Continue reading →

Posted in Alpha Linolenic Acid, Cholesterol, Essential Fatty Acids, Linoleic Acid, Monounsaturated Fatty Acids, Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Saturated Fatty Acids | Comments Off on The Major Fat Constituents in the Typical Western Diet

Fish or Red Meat : Do they Modify Cholesterol Levels?

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Robert Barrington

The lipid hypothesis of cardiovascular disease states that atherosclerosis is caused by elevated levels of blood cholesterol, and that dietary cholesterol and saturated fatty acids can in turn influence blood cholesterol. According to this hypothesis, foods high in cholesterol and … Continue reading →

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Another Day, Another Badly Designed Cholesterol Feeding Study

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Proponents of the lipid hypothesis of cardiovascular disease claim that dietary saturated fat and cholesterol are the cause of cardiovascular disease. The theory states that high intakes of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat cause increases in the low density lipoprotein … Continue reading →

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Short Chain Fatty Acids Lower Blood Cholesterol?

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Epidemiological studies suggest that fibre consumption is associated with lower plasma cholesterol concentrations. It has been suggested that the plasma cholesterol lowering effects of high fibre diets may be responsible for their cardioprotective effects. For example, it is estimated from … Continue reading →

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Eggs: Perfect For Breakfast

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Eggs are considered detrimental to the health by many because of their high content of cholesterol and saturated fat. However, the role of the egg in human nutrition has been distorted considerably. This is particularly true when considering the types … Continue reading →

Posted in Alpha Linolenic Acid, Brain, Cholesterol, Eggs, Glycaemia, Glycaemic Index, Glycaemic load, Melatonin, Protein, Saturated Fatty Acids, Serotonin | Comments Off on Eggs: Perfect For Breakfast

Do Eggs Raise Blood Cholesterol Levels?

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Robert Barrington

The short answer is no they do not. The long answer is more complicated because some studies that have reported blood cholesterol altering effects from increasing dietary consumption of eggs may not have controlled for confounding variables adequately. In particular … Continue reading →

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More On the Weight Loss Effects of Dairy

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Dairy consumption is associated with weight loss. This may relate to the calcium content of dairy as high calcium diets reduce the risk of obesity. Mechanistically the effects of calcium on weight loss have been investigated and a number of … Continue reading →

Posted in Calcitonin, Calcium, Cholesterol, Dairy, LDL, Saturated Fatty Acids, Weight Loss | Comments Off on More On the Weight Loss Effects of Dairy