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Just like diabetes, a majority of the world’s population is facing health issues due to high cholesterol. Before understanding what high cholesterol is, it is important to understand what cholesterol is. Cholesterol is a wax-type substance present in our body that is produced by our liver. Although cholesterol is an essential nutrient that produces Vitamin D, bile juice, and hormones in our body, too much of it may be problematic too. Several factors may lead to high cholesterol and one of them is wrong diet and food intake.
Those who want to keep their cholesterol levels under check must be aware of foods to avoid with high cholesterol. By making small changes to your diet, you can control your cholesterol levels significantly and live a life with a healthy heart.
Let us acquaint you with what are the risk factors associated with high cholesterol and what foods cause high cholesterol?
Types of Cholesterol
When we say cholesterol, it could be any of the two types of cholesterol, including LDL bad cholesterol or HDL good cholesterol.
1. LDL or Bad Cholesterol: Starting with an “L”, LDL means this cholesterol is good to be in a lower range. LDL otherwise stands for Low-Density Lipoprotein and can lead to heart diseases and cardiac attacks.
2. HDL or Good Cholesterol: Starting with an “H”, HDL means this cholesterol is good to be at a high level. HDL otherwise stands for High-Density Lipoprotein and it helps in reducing the risk of heart diseases.
9 Foods to Avoid With High Cholesterol
Here is a list of cholesterol foods to avoid to prevent heart diseases:
1. Fried Food
The worst food to avoid to prevent high cholesterol is fried food. Deep-fried items are all-time risky foods for your health, especially heart health. It is because being fried in oils, no matter which type of oil, they become high in cholesterol. Those with a high cholesterol level in the body must avoid fried food at all costs.
2. Junk Food
Call them fast food, or junk food, those pizzas, burgers, and pasta are not good for your health. Those who eat fast food frequently are at a higher risk of suffering from not just high cholesterol levels but also obesity and high blood sugar levels.
3. Processed Meat
Third in the row of foods to avoid with high cholesterol are processed meats. Be it bacon, sausage, or red meat, all processed meat forms are rich in cholesterol. They pose a serious threat to your heart health and may also lead to certain types of cancers.
4. Desserts and Sweets
Those with a sweet tooth may find it hard to limit the intake of their favorite ice cream or dessert. But, if they are facing health problems due to a high cholesterol level, they have no other option. Desserts and sweets of all kinds all lead to high cholesterol levels.
5. Cakes and Pastries
Similarly, if you are looking for what are the worst foods for high cholesterol, do give up your temptation to gorge upon cakes and pastries. These just like the desserts and sweets are high in cholesterol content and can easily spike up the cholesterol levels in your body.
6. Cheese
Different types of cheese, no matter it is parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, or any other type, all are high in cholesterol content. Those pizzas may not taste as good without the cheese topping, but the taste is nothing as compared to your health. Eating too much cheese can increase your cholesterol as well as blood pressure levels.
7. Eggs
You may indeed wonder and panic to see eggs in the list of foods to avoid with high cholesterol. Yes, this is supposed to be one of the most nutritious foods and is also high in cholesterol content. Chicken eggs are naturally high in cholesterol and must be either avoided completely or taken into limits to prevent heart and blood pressure issues.
8. Ghee and Butter
Up next, when thinking what foods cause high cholesterol, do consider ghee and butter. Although recent studies revealed that cow ghee is good for health, excess of it leads to high cholesterol. It is because ghee and butter are both rich in saturated fats and sodium, both of which can shoot up your blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels.
9. Full-Fat Yogurt
If you are an ardent lover of yogurt, then replace your full-fat yogurt with low-fat yogurt and you will save your body from reaching high cholesterol levels. Yogurt is a healthy food because it is rich in calcium, protein, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and other nutrients. However, if you take full-fat yogurt, then it also becomes super-rich in cholesterol.
Risk Factors for High Cholesterol
Apart from the foods that are high in cholesterol, certain other risk factors may lead to high cholesterol levels in your body. Some risk factors that may cause unhealthy cholesterol levels in your body are:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Lack of Exercise
- Alcohol Addiction
- Smoking
- Family History or Heredity
- Age Factor
Tips to Control Cholesterol
- Exercise Regularly
- Fibre-Rich Diet
- Limit Sugar Intake
- Increase Intake of Fruits and Vegetables
- Increase Intake of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Increase Intake of Whey Protein
- Replace Saturated Fats and Trans-Fats with Mono-unsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats
The Bottom Line
Now that you have a thorough understanding of what are the worst foods for high cholesterol, make sure to plan your diet accordingly. Just by eliminating LDL cholesterol-rich foods, you can reduce the chances of heart diseases and attacks to a great extent. Besides, try incorporating a regular workout regime in your daily life to keep your cholesterol levels under check.
