[The food cholesterol controversy]

Arteriosclerosis of blood vessels, the main cause of heart attack and stroke, is a disease of multifactor pathogenesis. Multiple experimental, clinical and epidemiologic studies indicate that free radicals and lipid oxidation products take part in aterogenesis process. Homocysteine possess also cytotoxic activity leading to degradation of elastine of internal membrane of blood vessels. Deficiency of vitamin folic acid, B12 and B6 cause homocysteine accumulation in human organism. Identifying the arteriosclerosis with oxidation of LDL-cholesterol results with faulty conclusions. Metabolism of cholesterol in human organism depends on content of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids, fitosterols, food fiber, Lactobacillus and antioxidants in the diet. In aterogenesis antioxidant defficiency, especially long-lasting ones, are more important then amount of fat itself. Considering cholesterol intake with average food and its absorption amounting 25-30%, one can conclude that amount of cholesterol in intestine originates in 90% from liver synthesis, which is excreted with bile, and in more than ten percent--from food. This is why reduction of cholesterol intake with food only little improves blood lipid indexes.