For many years, we believed that eating foods high in cholesterol & saturated fat increases the blood levels of cholesterol which in turn can spell trouble for the heart.  So, butter, ghee, coconut oil, egg yolk (yellow), red meat, cheese, and other foods that contained either cholesterol or saturated fat were deleted from the shopping lists of many homes.

Then came studies that showed egg yolk didn’t raise blood cholesterol levels, in spite of containing high amounts of cholesterol.  Of late, there’s a lot of talk on whether saturated fats raise blood cholesterol or not.  Many studies are indicating that ghee, coconut oil and other sources of saturated fats are not as harmful as thought earlier.  Trans fats and refined carbohydrates (sugar, maida, white bread and white rice) are the ones to watch out for.

Cholesterol is not a bad thing.  It is an essential item and has many functions in the body.  So, if you have any fear about cholesterol, please remove it from your minds.

Two days ago, I was listening to a talk by a very senior Swedish professor who basically trashed the information that cholesterol from foods and saturated fats can be harmful.  He said that refined carbohydrates are the culprits causing damage to our health.  He felt sad that many Indians have stopped using ghee, coconut and coconut oil.  He encouraged the use of these foods.  He also said that we use too much sunflower oil and should reduce it’s use.  Increase protein intake through foods, include lots of vegetables and fruits, leave refined carbohydrates, was the advice given.

I agree with most of the points given by the professor.  But we need to be careful of the quantity of fats that we use.  Also whole grains like brown rice, atta, millets, are an important part of our meals.

It all comes down to eating sensibly and exercising regularly.  So, go ahead and use a spoon of ghee or coconut oil in your cooking.  Don’t forget the garnish of grated coconut!