What Is Oxidized Cholesterol?
6. What Happens When You Eat Cholesterol?
An average person makes about 1000 milligrams of cholesterol per day, but less if cholesterol from animal products like meat, cheese, milk, and eggs are included in the diet. When you eat cholesterol, it is digested like other fats. Bile from the gallbladder and enzymes from the pancreas are secreted into the small intestine to break it down. As part of digestion, cholesterol is converted into a type of molecule called an ester. Esters are not well-absorbed by the small intestines the way other nutrients are, so it is carried into the bloodstream by chylomicron lipoprotein carrier cells.
Plants secrete a small amount of compounds similar to cholesterol called phytosterols that further block cholesterol absorption by the intestines. Plants that contain a large amount of phytosterols are legumes, avocados, nuts, whole grains, and seeds. Some doctors recommend increasing the amount of these foods in the diet.
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