In general, the types of foods that should not be eaten by people with high cholesterol are foods that contain high sugar content, high saturated fat content, fast food, and UPF (ultra-processed food) foods.
However, you need to know that there are types of vegetables that people with high cholesterol should not eat, although generally people with high cholesterol are recommended to eat a lot of vegetables.
So, is cabbage one of the vegetables that should not be eaten by people with high cholesterol? Here’s the explanation.
Check the Facts
In fact, cabbage can be consumed by people with high cholesterol as long as it is cooked in the correct and healthy way, such as boiling.
However, cabbage can be a vegetable that should not be eaten by people with high cholesterol if it is cooked in an unhealthy way, such as fried and cooked at very high temperatures.
For example, fried cabbage is often found in many eateries.
The Dangers of Fried Cabbage
This fried cabbage is dangerous for people with high cholesterol for the following reasons.
1. Fried cabbage absorbs a lot of oil
Cabbage has a layered and porous texture, so when fried, this vegetable absorbs large amounts of oil. The oil used for frying usually contains saturated fats that are harmful to people with high cholesterol.
2. Using Repeated Used Oil
In many eateries, cooking oil is often used many times. Fried cabbage cooked in oil that is heated repeatedly can produce trans fats that are very dangerous for people with high cholesterol, because they can raise LDL (bad cholesterol), lower HDL (good cholesterol), and increase the risk of heart disease.
3. High Temperature Frying Changes the Structure of Fat
Cooking at very high temperatures can produce oxidative compounds that are not good for heart health. Vegetables that were previously healthy, so they have the potential to cause inflammation in the body.
4. Fried Cabbage Is Usually Served with Fatty Foods
Fried cabbage is often served with menus such as fried chicken, fried duck, fried tripe, all of which are high in fat. This is especially bad for people with high cholesterol.
So, cabbage can generally be eaten by people with high cholesterol as long as it is not fried and does not use oil that has been heated many times in high temperatures.
However, if the cabbage in question is fried cabbage, then the answer should be avoided by people with high cholesterol.
Not because of the cabbage, but because of the frying process that makes the food high in saturated fat and trans-fat. These two types of fats can increase the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood.
