Scientists have said that a little known form of cholesterol may pose the biggest threat of heart disease to the population. Mostly found in junk food, takeaways and processed food, oxycholesterol is formed when food like burgers or meat is fried or grilled.
The process causes the fat in the meats to react with oxygen, giving an extra boost to the levels of cholesterol in the blood and causing more damage to the arteries than ordinary cholesterol.
Generally, cholesterol warnings have focused on the type of cholesterol called low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, which causes hard deposits of fat to build up around the arteries and can lead to heart attacks of strokes.
Current drug treatments, known as statins, focus on lowering levels of LDL cholesterol in patients and are frequently prescribed to those with high cholesterol or those with other risk factors in their lives that make them especially vulnerable to heart disease.
Dr Zhen-Yu Chen, from the University of Hong Kong, lead the study, which saw hamsters being fed a diet high in oxycholesterol. The study showed that the hamster’s blood cholesterol rose by 22% when they were given a diet containing non-oxidised cholesterol. They also had more cholesterol deposits in the lining of their arteries.
He said that LDL cholesterol was still a crucial health risk but added that the public also needed to be aware of oxycholesterol. He advised that a diet high in anti-oxidants containing fruits, vegetables, beans and certain herbs could help people stay healthy.