Which of the following dietary components can help in reducing cholesterol levels

RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2024

Applied Nutrition & Dietetics

Easy

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2024

Explanation

Soluble fibre is a type of dietary fibre that dissolves in water to form a gel-like material in the digestive system.
This gel binds with cholesterol and bile acids (which are made from cholesterol) in the intestine.
This binding action prevents the cholesterol and bile acids from being reabsorbed into the bloodstream.
As a result, the liver has to pull more cholesterol from the blood to make new bile acids, which leads to a reduction in overall blood cholesterol levels.
Good sources of soluble fibre include oats, barley, legumes (beans, lentils, peas), apples, and citrus fruits.

Option A: Saturated fats are known to raise blood cholesterol levels, particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or 'bad' cholesterol, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Option C: Trans fats are a particularly harmful type of fat that not only raises LDL ('bad') cholesterol but also lowers high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or 'good' cholesterol, significantly increasing the risk of heart disease.
Option D: High intake of refined sugars can lead to increased triglyceride levels and lower HDL ('good') cholesterol. It does not help in reducing cholesterol.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Dietary management of cholesterol levels as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Patient Education: Nurses play a crucial role in educating patients with hyperlipidemia about dietary modifications. Advising an increase in soluble fibre intake is a primary, evidence-based nursing intervention.
Disease Prevention: Promoting a diet rich in soluble fibre is a key public health strategy for the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
What if?: If a patient's primary lipid abnormality is high triglycerides rather than high LDL cholesterol, the dietary advice would still include increasing fibre but would place a stronger emphasis on reducing refined sugars and alcohol, and increasing omega-3 fatty acid intake.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question: it asks for a dietary component that reduces cholesterol.
Next, evaluate each option based on your knowledge of nutrition and its effect on blood lipids.
Recall that saturated and trans fats are known to increase or worsen cholesterol levels. This allows you to eliminate options A and C.
Consider refined sugars. While they are generally unhealthy, their primary impact is on triglycerides and blood sugar, not directly on lowering cholesterol. This makes option D unlikely.
Finally, recall that soluble fibre is well-known for its cholesterol-lowering properties. It binds to cholesterol in the gut and helps remove it from the body. This confirms it as the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Nutrition Kumud Khanna 2e pp. 296-298, 300-302

E6 Textbook of Biochemistry for medical StudentsDM Vasudevan Part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-239 of 478) p. 187-189