WHAT ARE HIGH CHOLESTROL FOODS?

It should not come as a big surprise that the foods we love are very high in cholestrol. However, given that there is good and bad cholestrol, it is important to distinguish between the two. So as HDL is good and LDL is bad, it is very important to avoid or at least try to eat foods that are low in LDL cholestrol because too much can cause heart disease.

If you are reading this article, you have probably been told by your doctor or have personally decided to reduce your cholestrol levels. So, what are the high cholestrol foods that you should omit from your diet?

Firstly, there are two main ingredients that will raise your cholestrol levels:

Saturated fat – found in most animal products

LDL cholesterol – found in most animal products

Some sources of fat and bad cholestrol that are considered high cholestrol foods can include:

Meats

Nuts

Dairy foods

However, not all of them are bad. This is why it is important to monitor the saturated fat content in foods because the more there is, the harder the liver has to work to detoxify the body. Also, subsequent LDL cholestrol from bad fats will create plaque inside arteries, veins, and capillaries which can result in serious, if not deadly, cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks.

The following is a list of high cholestrol foods. They are listed according to food type, serving size, and cholestrol levels. If at all possible, try to eat something else, or choose lower fat versions of them:

Food Serving Size Cholestrol Level

Beef, kidney 3.5oz 375 mg

Beef, liver 3.5oz 300 mg

Beefsteak 3.5oz 70 mg

Boiled egg 1 225 mg

Butter 3.5oz 250 mg

Cheddar cheese 1oz 19 mg

Chicken 3.5oz 60 mg

Cream cheese 1oz 27 mg

Ice Cream 3.5oz 45 mg

Lamb 3.5oz 70 mg

Sponge cake 3.5oz 260 mg

It is important to have no more than 200mg or less of cholestrol per day. The rest of any healthy diet should include fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes (peas, beans, lentils, etc.), whole grains and either 2% or no-fat milk. The American Heart Association recommends a calorie controlled version of the ‘Mediterranean Diet’. This can be found in pyramid for through their website.