About 85 million Nigerians are facing untimely death, arising from high cholesterol level in their bodies, a nutritionist, Mr Charles Oguikpe, and Laser Oil Limited Marketing Manager, Evans Ndukwe, said this recently.
They said Nigeria would lose a large percentage of its workforce to sudden death, unless people put in place methods to improve their diet by taking less of fatty and other cholesterol imbued foods.
Speaking at a conference on cholesterol and its implications in the society, Oguikpe said cholesterol is a natural thing, adding that everybody has some forms or levels of cholesterol in their bodies.
He said people increase their cholesterol level, through eating foods such hamburger, beef, fried chicken, meat-pie and others.
According to him, cholesterol is also hereditary, adding that it is inherited by people.
Oguikpe said: ”From the angle of a nutritionist, cholesterol exists in human body naturally. It helps in the formation of hormones, building Vitamin ‘D’ and other nutrients the body needs for growth. Cholesterol is both hereditary and dietary. People can have it through inheritance and foods they are consuming. That is why it is believed than average Nigerians have cholesterol in their bodies. Cholestrol is bad when it is too much in the body. That is why a man must run from fatty and organically produced foods to reduce cholesterol his level and further live long.”