The United States (U.S.) Government has dropped fatty foods containing cholesterol – long thought to cause heart disease and strokes – from its list of ‘nutrients of concern’, following the publication of a new report. Cholesterol is a waxy substance that comes from two sources: the body and food.
Cholesterol has been on the “naughty” list of nutrients for nearly 40 years, with health officials warning people to stay away from highcholesterol foods since the 1970s to avoid heart disease and clogged arteries.
Going by the new guideline issued in the new report therefore, it means that eggs, butter, full-fat dairy products, nuts, coconut oil and meat have now been classified as “safe” and have been officially removed from the “nutrients of concern” list.
Reacting to the report, a Professor of Nutrition and a former President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Tola Atinmo said he was not surprised at the content of the new U.S. guideline on cholesterol. According to him, already, the human body produces 85 per cent of the cholesterol in the body.
He said, “The only thing is that we do not want the consumption of some food to contribute to excess cholesterol in the body. When the authorities in the U.S has wisdom, they go ahead and change their mind on issues,” adding that the reversal of the U.S. earlier position on cholesterol was a good news.
