The gastroenterologist spoke in detail about the benefits and harms of lard

It is known that cholesterol increases due to excessive consumption of animal fats. In this regard, the question of the content of lipids harmful to blood vessels in fat is of interest. Judging by the fact that this product is very fatty, it should occupy one of the leading positions among other sources of bad cholesterol.

But is this really so, we still need to figure it out. People with high cholesterol levels need to carefully monitor their diet and be especially careful with foods containing animal fats. But, as it turned out, the combination of “fat and cholesterol” in moderate quantities does not change the content of harmful lipids in the blood.

Fat and cholesterol levels

The most common question patients ask is: how does eating lard affect blood cholesterol levels? It is worth understanding how lard and cholesterol can be interconnected, as well as what the benefits and harms of this product are.

The first thing you need to know and remember is that lard is a product of animal origin and, accordingly, a source of saturated animal fats.
In its pure form, lard contains a huge amount of high-quality and healthy cholesterol, which the body does not need to further process and can be immediately released into metabolic processes. In addition, cholesterol from lard can be used to produce all the microelements necessary for the body, which is very important. Doctor's advice:
To learn more about what cholesterol is and what its benefits are for the body, check out other videos on Dr. Shishonin's channel.

Join our community - Club of Former Hypertensive Patients

, download gymnastics, which has already helped hundreds of thousands of people overcome pressure surges and hypertension. Get the most current and correct information related to blood pressure, osteochondrosis, atherosclerosis, ask your questions to Dr. Shishonin and just communicate.

It is worth remembering that cholesterol can be of two types: “good” and “bad”, as they are popularly called. A person receives only 15-20 percent of all cholesterol from the outside, that is, from food. The remaining amount of this substance is produced by the liver and is necessary for life support and the coordinated operation of all systems.

How much cholesterol does the product contain?

Since most people classify lard as a high-calorie and fat-containing dish, it is considered an ingredient that is strictly prohibited for patients with cholesterolemia and for those at risk. To adequately assess its effect on the amount of lipoproteins, it is important to understand whether there is a lot of cholesterol in lard.

Experts have found that each hundred-gram piece contains from seventy to one hundred units of cholesterol. Is this rate excessive, or is it too small to cause harm? To answer this question, you can compare the content of lipoproteins in lard with similar indicators of other, no less popular products. For example, the heart, as a tasty offal, contains about two hundred units of cholesterol, liver - more than six hundred, veal - one hundred and ten units of lipoproteins. Even chicken, which is considered a dietary product, as well as its eggs, contain eighty and five hundred and seventy units of cholesterol for every hundred grams of the substance, respectively.

As you can see, lard occupies a far from leading position in terms of cholesterol content. Despite the generally accepted opinion about its proportional effect on cholesterol, this question remains open, since there are products on the generally accepted menu that contain significantly more lipoproteins.

Since it is impossible to assess the effect of lard on the human body based on one indicator of its cholesterol composition, it is necessary to study its structure thoroughly, highlighting and comparing the benefits and damage from this product for health.

Beneficial features

Lard is a layer of fat, and it is the pork product that is used, since all the nutrients that the pig consumes are deposited in subcutaneous fat. The result is a tasty, nutritious and extremely healthy product. Lard contains high-quality cholesterol, fatty and carboxylic acids, as well as many vitamins and microelements.

Thanks to this composition, lard boasts many beneficial properties:

• is a valuable source of energy, especially in situations where a person is forced to limit his diet;
• necessary for the smooth functioning of the heart muscle;
• strengthens bone tissue;
• stabilizes hormone levels in both women and men;
• contains healthy cholesterol because it is a source of saturated animal fat.

Alexander Yuryevich calls cholesterol “the substance of life.” It performs a number of essential functions in the human body, including:

• is an integral part of the membranes of all cells, which makes them more durable and resistant to external influences;
• participates in conduction processes of the nervous system;
• is an integral part of metabolic processes;
• indispensable in the production of various hormones, including sex hormones, etc.

If we take into account all the benefits of good cholesterol for the body, we can say that high-quality lard is very beneficial for humans.

Possible harm and contraindications

Most experts believe that moderate consumption of pork fat cannot cause harm, and this is absolutely true. In small quantities (and even in significant quantities, with one-time use), it does not have any negative effect. The only limitation is age, because lard should not be eaten by children (under 3 years old) and elderly people (over 60 years old) .

Salted lard is easily digested and does not cause a feeling of heaviness or discomfort in the stomach. The exception is if a person has an acute gastrointestinal ulcer. This is the only contraindication for use. It is important to understand that any food, even the healthiest and safest, can be harmful if eaten in unlimited quantities. This applies not only to bacon, but also to eggs, milk, fermented milk and meat products, and fish.

How else can fat affect the body?

If you want to speed up metabolic processes in the body, feel free to eat lard. Not only is it a valuable source of cholesterol, but it also has other beneficial effects on the organs and systems of the human body. What else is lard good for? It is necessary for all people who have problems with the gallbladder and related organs involved in choleretic processes: it causes a powerful choleretic effect, comparable to taking various drugs and choleretic herbal preparations. Many people are allergic to herbs, but lard can be safely eaten.

The thing is that lard, when it enters the duodenum, causes a powerful bile secretion reflex, since it is pure animal fat. The gallbladder contracts, stagnant bile comes out of it, the hepatic ducts also begin to contract and expel bile. Thus, lard promotes healthy natural cleansing of the liver and helps avoid stagnation of bile in it. This is another great positive effect of eating lard.

Advice:

If you eat 50 g of lard every day, you can significantly improve the condition of the liver and cleanse it.

Proper preparation and consumption

As mentioned above, it is salted lard that brings the greatest benefit, while fried or smoked lard will do nothing but harm. It should only be salted fresh, at the rate of 4 tbsp. spoons of salt per 1 kg of raw materials. Additionally, you can add a little pepper, garlic and cumin, which will not only improve the taste, but also increase the benefits for the body.

Lard can be salted either dry or using a special brine (marinade). In both cases, fat will be useful for reducing the level of harmful lipids. It is better to eat it with a small piece of rye bread, but in no case with a loaf or bun. You should not eat frozen bacon, because although it tastes better, it is absorbed and digested much worse. Salted lard can be lightly boiled, all the substances necessary for the body will be preserved.

Daily norm

An example of the daily requirement of lard for high cholesterol (about 25 grams).
The daily norm for a healthy person can vary from 40 to 80 grams. With high cholesterol, this figure should be reduced to 20-35 grams per day.

How much?

Of course, everything is good in moderation. Dr. Shishonin says that only 50 g of lard is a therapeutically useful daily dose. The diet should be balanced, and there are other equally healthy animal fats, for example, dairy products. Milk, low-fat sour cream and cottage cheese, soft cheese - all this is an irreplaceable source of healthy animal cholesterol, which is very easily digestible at any age. Such fats are better than lard in terms of their nutritional effect for the body.

However, you should not give in to rumors and fears that fat can lead to clogging of blood vessels with cholesterol plaques and atherosclerosis. This product is extremely useful, and it is worth understanding the scientific side of the issue before unfairly blaming lard for any harm. Well, all lard lovers can breathe easy and enjoy consuming this product without fear of harming themselves. Be healthy and be sure to study every question from a scientific point of view!

Let's sum it up

In order to prevent an increase in cholesterol levels or reduce it, it is important to follow a proper diet, limiting foods containing fats. Lard is a fat-containing ingredient, however, this is not a reason for a categorical ban on its use in the diet.

Even nutritionists are inclined to believe that properly prepared, high-quality lard is even beneficial for health. The main thing is to have a sense of proportion when consuming it, and also to coordinate its intake with other consumed foods so that the calorie content and amount of fat do not exceed the permissible daily allowance.

Find out more about our weight loss programs:

Preventing the accumulation of low-density lipoproteins in the body means saving yourself from problems with the heart and blood vessels, as well as... from excess weight. How does this substance affect body weight?

• There is especially a lot of cholesterol in fast food and processed foods. The more fatty, fried and high-calorie foods we eat, the greater our volumes. Trans fats, found in excess in fast food products, Big Macs and French fries, also lead to the development of obesity.

• What happens when we start gaining weight rapidly? Triglyceride and cholesterol levels increase. These compounds are insoluble in water and in blood plasma. In order to get to their “destination”, they must find a mate. Proteins act as a transport vehicle, which, in tandem with fatty alcohol, are converted into lipoproteins. If their density is low, our body will receive nothing but harm.

If the density of lipoproteins is high, they go straight to the liver, from where they then enter the intestines. Bile also comes with them. By getting a lot of bad cholesterol from food (from fast food, processed foods), we increase the load on the liver - it works to the limit of its strength and capabilities, releasing more and more fatty alcohol. As a result, its concentration increases, bile becomes thicker, even viscous, which leads to the formation of hard concretions - in other words, stones.

So there are many dangers that await those who like to eat in fast food restaurants or warm up something hearty and harmful for dinner: these are problems with the heart and blood vessels, heart attacks and strokes, obesity and cholelithiasis. The only thing we can do to help ourselves is to control what we eat and have a healthy lifestyle, which includes proper nutrition.

How do you know if the cholesterol in your blood is higher than normal? Pay attention to how you feel. The following symptoms indicate the need to change your diet:

• fast fatiguability;
• hypertension;
• frequent headaches;
• drowsiness;
• functional disorders of the intestines (diarrhea, constipation);
• poor appetite;
• nervousness.

Should you exclude lard from your diet?

It is important to understand that fats are necessary for human health! It is a mistake to limit or eliminate them while continuing to consume carbohydrates in large quantities. The basis of a healthy, nutritious diet consists of proteins, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. However, it is necessary to maintain a balance of all these substances and take into account your individual calorie needs.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Who came up with the idea of ​​eating lard?

Today, lard is considered to be the calling card of Ukrainians. But in fact, it was not they or even the Slavs who invented this product. And this is another big misconception associated with lard. Its homeland is Italy, where three thousand years ago white pork fat was used as a cheap but nutritious food for slaves who worked in marble quarries. At one time in the Roman Empire it was supplied to legionnaires during campaigns and battles.

Content:

• Who came up with the idea of ​​eating lard?
• Beneficial properties of pork fat
• The nutritional value
• Role for the body
• Possible hazardous properties
• How to choose
• Lard: who uses it how?
• Fat in folk medicine
• Use in cosmetology

In those days, lard was called Lardo di Colonnata. The name comes from a small settlement in northern Tuscany. It was there that men, going to work in the mines, took lardo with them, in addition to bread, olives and tomatoes. Over time, lardo ceased to be a food for the poor and today has become a gastronomic attraction of the Italian Colonnata.

Even today, being in Tuscany and not trying the local lard is the same as not seeing the Eiffel Tower while in Paris. And lardo is truly a unique product: just like many centuries ago, it is kept in marble tubs, rubbed with garlic and sea salt, at a certain humidity, temperature and, most importantly, without the use of preservatives. Lardo production begins in early autumn. Interestingly, today pork fat is supplied to Colonnata from Parma, where the equally famous Parma ham is produced.

Another popular type of Italian lard is made in the northwest of the country. But unlike Collonata, lardo is not aged in marble containers, but in oak, chestnut or walnut containers.

In ancient times, this pork product was one of the most popular among the poor who could not afford meat. They came up with the idea of ​​smoking and salting lard. Moreover, given that pigs have been raised in many countries for centuries, it is not surprising that almost every nation has its own options for preparing this product. And sometimes it is even difficult to recognize ordinary lard in pork fat prepared according to some recipes.

They say that among the products that Columbus took with him on his voyage was lard. And the sailors loved this product much more than fish. The Benedictine monks also used it. And not only as food, but also as raw material for candles.

The ancient Slavs, in addition to raw pork fat, consumed boiled and baked lard, made cracklings from it and melted lard.

Storage Methods

For a short period, lard can be stored in the refrigerator, or in a tied bag without air. But the best method for storing fresh lard is to freeze it in the freezer.

Frozen lard can have a long shelf life (several years) if it has not been thawed.

Repeated freezing of lard, as well as meat, is prohibited, because during the defrosting period, bacteria that are dangerous to human health begin to multiply in these products.

The best way to store fresh lard is salting along with spices that have a spicy aroma. Salted lard has a shelf life of up to one year.

When properly stored, all beneficial properties and the amount of arachidonic acid contained in it, as well as all polyunsaturated acids, are retained.

Lard should not be fried in a frying pan for a long time, because when melted, carcinogens are formed that increase cholesterol and up to 50.0% of all vitamins are lost.

The same loss of vitamins occurs during the smoking process of this product.

How to choose?

In order for lard to bring maximum benefits to the body and not cause many ailments after taking it, you must follow some rules when choosing lard:

• You need to buy this product from trusted sellers, or in designated places. Request from the seller a certificate of compliance of the goods with quality criteria;
• You need to ask the seller for a knife. The knife for cutting lard should be separate, and not the one used to cut meat. Using a knife on lard can introduce helminths, as well as a large variety of bacteria;
• Scratch the fat from the skin itself with the blunt side of the knife. It should be scraped off in small grains. This is confirmation that the pig was not fed dietary supplements and antibiotics to quickly gain weight, and the pig had normal nutrition and the lard had time to ripen during the fattening period. This is a sign of a quality product;
• You also need to smell the bacon. A fresh product always smells like fresh meat. You just need to choose smoked lard based on other rules, because the quality of such lard is difficult to determine by smell, the same applies to ready-made lard, which is prepared by boiling with spices, or by salting in a saline solution with the addition of fragrant spices - bay leaves , allspice, thyme, cloves;
• High-quality fresh lard is white or slightly pink in color. If the lard has a greenish or yellowish tint, then this indicates that the lard is quite old and was not stored correctly. Buying such a product is dangerous, because it will not only increase the concentration of cholesterol in the blood, but can also lead to poisoning of the body by bacteria, which during this time have become happy in the stale bacon;
• When choosing smoked lard, in order to determine the method of smoking it - a natural method, or a method using liquid smoke, it is necessary to scrape the skin on the smoked lard. If the smoking method is natural, then after the brown layer of skin there is a white layer. When liquid smoke is used in processing, it colors all the fat evenly and its skin too. Eating such bacon is dangerous for the body, because it has many carcinogens and chemical compounds;
• The consistency of the bacon should be dense, and the color should be uniform. Lard can be with or without meat streaks.

Only fresh and natural lard can give a person pleasure from its consumption, as well as have a beneficial effect on the body and not increase cholesterol in the blood, but rather normalize the synthesis of lipid molecules.

Only fresh and natural lard can give a person pleasure from its consumption.

Selecting high-quality bacon

The key to well-being and good health lies in proper nutrition. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right product so as not to worry about its quality. You should buy only in trusted places, from reliable sellers. Ideally, this could be someone you know who breeds pigs or a large farm. The seller must have a product quality certificate and permission to sell it.

It is worth paying attention to the appearance and smell of raw materials, and tasting them before purchasing. High-quality lard should not be yellow or gray, have an unpleasant odor or a pronounced aroma and taste of pepper and other spices. Thus, unscrupulous sellers try to disguise the shortcomings of poor-quality pickling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QttQSYTFbhA

The nutritional value

In everyday life, for most people, lard is a highly nutritious fatty product. And chemists say that lard is a complex of vitamins A, E, and F, selenium, zinc, arachidonic, palmitic, oleic, stearic, and linoleic acids.

Nutritional value per 100 g

Positive influence

Lard has long been used in folk healing. According to traditional medicine recipes, lard is used not only for oral consumption, but also for treating body pathologies using external use.

The beneficial effects on the body are proven by the treatment of these pathologies:

• Pathology of joint pain . According to the recipe of traditional healers, sore joints must be lubricated with melted lard, wrapped in parchment paper and wrapped in woolen material. The procedure must be carried out before bed and do not remove the compress all night;
• Joint injuries . To relieve pain, melted lard must be mixed with rock or sea salt. Carry out the procedure as in the previous recipe;
• Lard or lard is also used against weeping eczema . Melt 2 tablespoons of bacon (the lard should be unsalted), cool the resulting fat (or take pork fat) and mix it with 1000 milliliters of celandine plant juice, and also take 2 chicken egg yolks and 100.0 grams of nightshade plant. Let the mixture sit for at least 3 days and use it to rub the affected areas;
• For toothache, you can use salted lard by first separating the skin from the cut piece and removing the salt . Place this piece between the tooth and cheek for 20 - 30 minutes. The pain will go away for a long time;
• Female breast mastitis . You need to take old yellowed lard and apply a thin cut piece to the inflamed area on the chest. Glue the piece with an adhesive plaster and wrap the chest with a wool cloth;
• You can use lard against rapid intoxication . Before the banquet, you need to eat a little bacon and the alcohol will begin to be absorbed by the intestines, because the property of a fatty product will not allow the walls of the stomach to absorb. The process of intoxication will take much longer.

Lard reduces cholesterol levels in the blood if you consume no more than 30.0 grams of it daily. Lard contains enzymes that block the synthesis of cholesterol by liver cells.

Oil

Honey

Salo