Is lower blood lipid levels always better? A guide to scientific intake and dining out.

Avoid Completely Rejecting Lipids: Fatty substances in the blood are collectively called blood lipids. Lipids in blood plasma include cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, and non-free fatty acids. They are bound to various proteins in the blood, existing in the form of "lipoproteins." Blood lipids include fats and lipids. Fats are mainly triglycerides; lipids are a general term for phospholipids, glycolipids, and sterols. These lipids in the blood circulate throughout the body and have important physiological functions. All bodily activities are powered by heat energy, consuming calories. Lipids are the nutrients that generate the most heat, supplying the body's energy needs.

The human body is composed of millions of cells. Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, glycolipids, and cholesterol. These components maintain the function of every system in the body; the brain and nerves also require phospholipids and glycolipids; sterols are also essential substances for the synthesis of hormones in the body. On the one hand, phospholipids and glycolipids can be converted into corticosteroids, sex hormones, and vitamins, participating in normal metabolism; on the other hand, these components are also one of the main components of cells, maintaining cell permeability and normal cell metabolism. A lack of cholesterol can cause cell rupture. Some nutrients obtained from the diet are fat-soluble. Vitamins A, D, E, and K, for example, need to be present with fat to be dissolved and absorbed in the intestines to meet the body's needs. Lipids also protect skin epithelial cells and accelerate the healing of skin injuries.

Saturated fatty acids in the diet generally come from animal fats and dairy fats, and they can promote cholesterol formation. The subcutaneous tissue contains a layer of fat that helps prevent and regulate body heat loss, providing insulation and helping to protect against the cold. It also absorbs external heat, preventing it from freely transferring into the body, thus maintaining a normal body temperature.

Therefore, the human body needs fat and cannot function without lipids. The notion of "fearing fat" is incorrect. Completely rejecting fats in daily life is harmful to the body. Therefore, it is important to consume fat appropriately, preventing excessive accumulation in the body.

Avoid Careless Dining Out: Patients with hyperlipidemia must pay attention to the following when dining out:

(1) Choose foods cooked with less oil, such as steaming, boiling, stewing, poaching, or grilling. Foods with more oil, such as fried noodles, should be avoided.

(2) When eating hot pot, choose lean fish and lean meat products, and pair them with vegetables such as cabbage, chrysanthemum greens, tomatoes, and lettuce. Drink as little hot pot broth as possible; clear broth is preferable. Western-style thick soups and Chinese-style rich broths are not suitable.