Question

its a nutrition question

Which of the following foods contain a significant amount of cholesterol? Choose one answer. foods from plants such as whole grain fruits and vegetables foods from animals such as meat and dairy starchy vegetables such as potatoes only dairy such as butter, milk, cheese and yogurt all foods contain cholesterol

Answer 1

The following food contains significant amounts of cholesterol:

Foods from an animal such as meat and dairy.

Cholesterol is found in most food from animal sources, such as meat and dairy. Eggs, animal flesh, organ meats, whole milk and dairy products such as cheese, butter, yogurt are all foods rich in cholesterol. Cholesterol is important for a variety of biological functions. It is required for the synthesis of vitamin D as well as bile acids. It is also required in the pathway for production of sex hormones such as progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. It also required for construction of the plasma membrane. However, too much of LDL (low density lipoprotein) variety of cholesterol is harmful for our body as it can acuse plaque formation in arteries. HDL (high density lipoprotein) variety of cholesterol is though to be good for our health.

The following foods does not contain significant amounts of cholesterol:

Foods from plants such as whole grain fruits and vegetables.

Food from plant sources do not contain cholesterol. Instead they have a group of chemicals called phytosterols. In plants, phytosterols are molecules present in cell membrane, similar to the cholesterol molecules in animal cell membrane. In human liver, phytosterol competes with cholesterol for absorption. Thus, food from plant sources may infact have cholesterol lowering properties.

Starchy vegetables such as potatoes.

As mentioned above, food from plant sources do not contain cholesterol. Starchy vegetables like potatoes are rich in fibers, contained mainly in the skin of the potato. Soluble fibers from potato skin binds with bile acids and leads to increased production of these compounds. Since cholesterol is required for bile acid production, increased fiber consumption ultimately reduces the blood cholesterol.

Only dairy such as butter, milk , cheese and yogurt.

Dairy does contain significant amounts of cholesterol. But not only dairy, but meats and eggs, other products from animals are a major dietary source of cholesterol. Therefore, dairy products are not the only food rich in cholesterol.

All foods contain cholesterol.

As stated earlier, food from plant sources generally do not contain cholesterol. Therefore foods like grains, vegetables and nuts do not contain cholesterol. Hence, not all food contain cholesterol.