There is always the doubt about whether Serrano ham is bad for cholesterol or good. In this post we talk about Serrano ham and cholesterol to answer all your questions.
Índice
- What is cholesterol and what types of cholesterol exist
- How the lipids of Serrano ham act in the body
- Serrano ham and cholesterol, harm
- Can I eat ham if I have cholesterol?
- Are all hams the same regarding cholesterol?
Serrano ham and cholesterol are two concepts that do not have to be related. Ham contains a percentage of fats that provide us with cholesterol, however, not all cholesterol is harmful to our body, nor is Serrano ham bad for cholesterol, as long as its consumption is adequate.
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What is cholesterol and what types of cholesterol exist
Cholesterol is a steroid lipid that serves to generate a large part of the cell membranes of our body. Cholesterol is not only not harmful, but it is also necessary for our cells to develop, however, an excessive consumption of bad cholesterol will negatively affect our health.
There are two types of cholesterol, known as good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.
Good cholesterol (technically HDL), is a dense substance with a very high rate of protein. The main advantage of HDL cholesterol is that it absorbs excess cholesterol from arterial deposits and takes it to the liver to be purified.
Good cholesterol (LDL) is a molecule that transports fat to cell membranes. The remains of this type of cholesterol are deposited in the arteries, narrowing their interior. The consequences cause atherosclerosis, which can lead to fatal coronary heart disease.
Serrano ham contains high levels of HDL, which is why the relationship between Serrano ham and cholesterol is not harmful, as long as consumption is responsible. The same effect is applicable in the relationship between Iberian ham and cholesterol.
How the lipids of Serrano ham act in the body
The fat that reaches our body through the consumption of ham is beneficial, because it is capable of regulating the levels of cholesterol present in our body.
The monounsaturated fatty acids in Serrano ham will purify bad cholesterol, especially due to oleic acid. This acid belongs to the omega 9 series, and is very present in vegetables, for example in olives, however, the protein in ham also provides high levels of oleic acid.
The fat of the ham reaches the body and provides lipids to our cells, but also distributes the cholesterol present in our arteries, allowing it to be purified by the liver.
Monounsaturated fats are beneficial for the human body, because they allow us to regulate our metabolism. The action of these lipids, combined with the antioxidants in the ham, make Serrano ham one of the healthiest meats in our cuisine.
Serrano ham and cholesterol, harm
Not all consumption of ham is beneficial. Good cholesterol will favor the processes carried out by our body, as long as we consume it in adequate amounts. If we eat large amounts of ham on a daily basis, the fats will accumulate, reducing its positive impact on our body.
What we achieve through moderate consumption of ham is to reduce the lipids present in our arteries, however, if the amounts are unhealthy, the consequence will be that these beneficial lipids also accumulate, increasing the risk of cerebrovascular diseases.
Can I eat ham if I have cholesterol?
In most cases, specialists do not prohibit the consumption of ham to people with cholesterol levels higher than normal, unless cholesterol levels are especially high.
It is always advisable to opt for Iberian ham or Serrano ham, the reason is that these types of products contain oleic acid, and therefore they will act as a solution to purify the arteries due to the concentration of accumulated fat.
The key for ham to be part of our diet is to mix its properties with other foods. The Mediterranean diet has been teaching us for centuries that the most important thing is to maintain a varied diet, in which all kinds of food fit as long as they are not processed, and are consumed in adequate quantities.
A person with high cholesterol levels must undergo an adequate diet, based on the criteria of a medical specialist, therefore, although in most diets we can include Serrano or Iberian ham, it will be the medical specialist who, finally, determines the adequacy of ham for a given diet.
Are all hams the same regarding cholesterol?
No, in fact, pork meat can act very differently on our cholesterol levels, depending on its characteristics and the previous transformation processes.
One of the advantages that hams have, from Iberian acorn-fed hams to recebo hams, is that they are little-processed products that preserve their natural structure and do not contain preservatives.