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Food high in saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 2 - 2013 - Paper 1
Question 2
Food high in saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels. Complete the sentence by putting a cross (X) in the box next to your answer. The enzymes for fat dig... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Food high in saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 2 - 2013 - Paper 1
Step 1
Step 2
Calculate the percentage change in the levels of cholesterol in the blood between eating 2 g of plant stanol esters per day and 8 g of plant stanol esters per day.
Answer
To calculate the percentage change, we can use the formula:
ext{Percentage Change} = rac{ ext{New Value} - ext{Old Value}}{ ext{Old Value}} imes 100Assuming the cholesterol levels are directly related to the amount consumed:
- Old Value (2g) corresponds to a certain cholesterol level, say X.
- New Value (8g) corresponds to a different level, say Y.
Substituting the assumed values for calculation, if Y = 4X (as increasing the intake of stanol esters generally leads to lower cholesterol), we find:
ext{Percentage Change} = rac{4X - X}{X} imes 100 = rac{3X}{X} imes 100 = 300\ ext{Percentage Change = 300%}Step 3
Describe how the level of cholesterol in the blood changes as the mass of plant stanol esters eaten increases.
Answer
As the mass of plant stanol esters consumed increases, the level of cholesterol in the blood tends to decrease. Plant stanol esters block the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines. Therefore, increasing the intake of these esters effectively reduces the overall cholesterol levels in the bloodstream, leading to a lowered risk of heart disease.