Rubystars wrote:
> Well I don't think they're poison but I do think that if someone eats too
> many foods loaded with cholesterol it can't be good for them.

The issue isn't cholesterol, it's saturated fat. Many high cholesterol
foods, like fish, are beneficial for reducing LDL. From an earlier
thread (remember?):

Cholesterol from food doesn't have a direct link to *serum* cholesterol
levels. The more important culprits in raising serum LDL (the bad
cholesterol) are saturated fats and transfats, regardless of their source.

It's true that much of the fat from animal-based foods is saturated.
Many vegetable oils and related products are also saturated naturally or
artificially (hydrogenation). Many of the recipes offered on afv call
for margarine, which usually contains saturated fats and/or transfats.
This is one of my chief complaints. It makes no difference if one avoids
the cholesterol found in animal products if one's diet *still* contains
saturated fats. Those sat-fats and trans-fats will elevate one's
cholesterol levels whether one eats animal foods or not.

Unsaturated fats, be they from vegetable oils like olive or canola or
from animal fats like the healthy ones found in oily fish like salmon,
elevate HDL (good cholesterol) which helps transport and reduce LDL.
Fiber is also beneficial in controlling LDL levels. The distinction on
controlling cholesterol, specifically LDL, should be on dietary fats,
not on dietary cholesterol.

In general, saturated fats tend to raise the serum-cholesterol
level, while unsaturated fats and fiber tend to lower the
serum-cholesterol level. Therefore, it is prudent to lower one’s
intake of saturated fat, use your fat allowance primarily for
unsaturated fats, and eat more high-fiber foods. Foods which
contain saturated fat, unsaturated fat, or fiber may or may not
contain cholesterol.
http://www.unm.edu/~shc1/cholesterol.html

Also, meat DOES contain many vitamins and minerals, some of which are
deficient or missing in a veg-n diet. Eating fish and lean cuts is much
healthier than consuming foods with hydrogenated oils or naturally
saturated vegetable oils.
------
Let me further add that some saturated fats have beneficial qualities:

Stearic Acid in Chocolate and Its Neutral Effect on Cholesterol


The fat in chocolate, derived from cocoa butter, contains the
saturated fatty acids, stearic acid and palmitic acid, as well
as the unsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid.

Although, historically, it was found that SFA may raise
cholesterol, it has become apparent that all SFA do not have the
same hypercholesterolemic effect (1). In fact, research
indicates that stearic acid is unique. Unlike other saturated
fats, stearic acid may have a neutral effect on blood
cholesterol similar to oleic acid, which is important when
considering maintaining cardiovascular health (2). A proposed
mechanism for the similarity between oleic acid and stearic acid
is the rapid conversion of stearic acid to oleic acid by action
of a delta-9 desaturase in the liver (3).
http://www.chocolateinfo.com/sr/sr_article_11.jsp

And:
Unlike most saturated fats, stearic acid does not seem to
increase cholesterol levels in the blood, because liver enzymes
convert it to an unsaturated fat during digestion.
http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/stearic_acid.html

Stearic acid is found in most animal fats. I wouldn't call beef or
chocolate health foods, but they're acceptably healthy for most people
in moderation.

And finally (more to **** off vegans who make unfounded health claims),
here's more information on the benefits of beef from a beef industry
site. Note the info on CLAs (anti-cancer benefits) and especially the
part about iron.

http://www.betterbeef.com/heart_friendly_enjoy.html