7 Foods High in Cholesterol to Avoid

Foods High in Cholesterol to Avoid in your daily diet.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy fat-like substance that is found in the blood. It is produced by our body and is also found in food.

Our body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease.

Which foods are high in cholesterol?

Foods that contain cholesterol and are high in saturated fat.

• Full-fat dairy foods: Milk, cheese, yogurt, and cream.
• Animal fats: Butter, Cheese, Ghee, kinds of margarine and spreads made from animal fats, suet lard, and dripping.
• Fatty meat and processed meat products for example sausages.

The table below shows the amount of cholesterol in these types of foods:-

Foods	Amount	Cholesterol (mg)Per Portion
Eggs	>1 very large >1 large >1 medium >1 small	256mg 240mg 200mg 185mg
Liver	>Lamb, raw (100g) >Calf, raw (100g) >Chicken, raw (100g) >Pig, raw (100g)	430mg 370mg 380mg 260mg
	Liver Pate (40g)	68mg
Kidney	>Pig, raw (100g) >Lamb, raw (100g)	410mg 315mg
Heart	>1 Lamb’s heart, raw (191g) >1 Pig’s heart, raw (266g)	267mg 210mg
Shellfish	>Prawns, raw (140g) >Canned crab in brine (100g) >Fresh crab meat, cooked (100g) >Half a cooked lobster (250g)	210mg 72mg 169mg 275mg

High Cholesterol Symptoms

Unfortunately, high cholesterol has no specific symptoms. A blood test is the only way to detect high cholesterol in the body.

High cholesterol, mainly caused by physical inactivity, idleness, obesity, and an unhealthy diet, is a major risk factor for heart disease. Here are 7 foods high in cholesterol that should limit when following a heart-healthy, low-cholesterol diet:

01. Fatty Red Meat

Butter burgers, ground beef, ribs, steaks, pork chops, corned beef, lamb chops, red meats tend to have high saturated fat and are loaded with cholesterol. If you want to keep your heart healthy, it is best to avoid—or at least limit—the consumption of these fattier red meats.

02. Processed Meats

Processed meats, for example, bacon, sausages, and hot dogs are high-cholesterol foods. High consumption of processed meats tends to increase rates of heart disease and colon cancer.

03. Pan-Frying Condiments

Try to limit butter intake by trading it in for margarine or olive oil. Butter, as well as bacon drippings, coconut oil, and shortening, are high in saturated fats and cholesterol.

04. Egg yolks

Eggs are nutritious foods you can eat. Eggs are also high in cholesterol. A-One large egg supplying 210 mg of cholesterol, or 70% of the RDI (Recommended Dietary Intake).

Eggs are an excellent source of highly absorbable protein. It is also full of beneficial nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin A and selenium. Eggs do not harmfully impact cholesterol levels. So eating whole eggs can lead to increases in heart-protective HDL.

However, try to limit egg yolks by swapping out whole eggs for egg whites to get rid of some cholesterol from your diet.

05. Desserts

Cookies, cakes, pastries, ice cream, and other sweetened are tending to be high in cholesterol. These are also carrying extra sugars, unhealthy fats, and calories.

Research has found that regularly consuming these foods can harmfully impact our health and lead to weight gain, obesity, heart disease, diabetes.

It is best to limit or avoid certain high-cholesterol foods, for example, fast foods, fried foods, processed meats, and sugary desserts.

06. Fast Food

Fast food consumption is one of the main risk factors for many chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Those who habitually consume fast food have a tendency to have higher cholesterol, belly fat, higher levels of inflammation, and impaired blood sugar regulation.

Common menu items at fast food outlets include fish and chips, pitas, pizza, sandwiches, hamburgers, fried chicken, French fries, chicken nuggets, onion rings, tacos, hot dogs, and ice cream, etc.

However, these fast foods are hard to eat in small quantities; People usually cook these fast foods in hydrogenated oils, which are very high in Trans fats.
So, eating less processed food and trying to cook your meals at home is associated with lower body weight, less body fat, and reductions in heart disease risk factors like high LDL cholesterol.

07. Dairy Products

Dairy products include food items for example cheese, yogurt, and butter. Look out for dairy products that are high in saturated fat content. These dairy foods can also increase your cholesterol level. So, try changing out the whole milk for lower-fat varieties, and look for low-fat cheese to go on your next sandwich.

Bottom Line

The foods listed above are not heart-healthy diets because they are high in cholesterol and include saturated and Trans fats. Everyone should try to limit unhealthy, high-cholesterol foods like fried items, desserts, and processed meats. Therefore, choose your food very wisely. Try to include foods that contain healthier fats, like the unsaturated fats found in fish, nuts, and olive oil. These healthy fats can be rich in omega-3 fatty acids.