New study explains why high-fat foods increase cholesterol

Eating a high-fat diet is one sure way to develop high cholesterol and require a prescription to buy Lipitor. However, until recently medical experts did not know exactly why eating fat increased cholesterol levels. A new study may help explain this process and provide dietary advice for people who are looking to lower their cholesterol.

High-fat foods tend to be rich in cholesterol as well, but this is not the case with all. In fact, some evidence has shown that eating high-cholesterol meals that are low in fat does not necessarily lead to increases in cholesterol.

Researchers from the Carnegie Institute for Science found that this is likely because fat triggers processes in the intestines that signal the uptake of cholesterol. When fat is absent from a meal cholesterol simply passes through the system.

The findings were based on a study in which the researchers fed diets of varying fat and cholesterol content to zebrafish. These fish have transparent bodies, which allowed the researchers to track the metabolization of different nutrients through the entire digestion process.

The results could help solve what has been an enduring mystery and provide nutritional advice for people with high cholesterol.