Excess cholesterol can clog arteries and potentially give you a stroke or a heart attack. The Mayo Clinic notes that high cholesterol is often inherited, or genetic, but can be treated. One of the easiest and best ways to lower high cholesterol is to avoid foods that add to cholesterol. While the cholesterol that is in food, or "dietary cholesterol," can affect your blood cholesterol levels, the fat and sugar content will have a much greater effect on your cholesterol numbers, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Avoid foods that are high in sugar, saturated fat and trans fat.
Fast Food
Unfortunately, your favorite fast-food chains are supplying you with high levels of cholesterol and trans fat that can significantly raise your cholesterol. Trans fat will lower your HDL "good cholesterol" and raise your LDL "bad" cholesterol, according to the Mayo Clinic. Fast foods often are cooked in partially hydrogenated oils, which is another term for trans fat. According to the Office of Health Education at the University of Pennsylvania, a medium order of french fries has 14.5 g of trans fat. French fries are often partially fried in trans fat before they are re-fried in trans fat for consumption. Fried chicken and cheeseburgers may also be dripping with trans fatty acids simply because they are prepared in partially hydrogenated oil.
You can still have your "junk food," but you will have to prepare it at home in healthful oils such as canola or grape seed oil. Baking or grilling is a better alternative.
Regular Sodas
"Time" magazine reports that excess sugar intake increases cholesterol, especially unnatural sugar. Regular soda contains high-fructose corn syrup, or "empty calories," which is sugar that is altered from its natural state and has no nutritional value. Most regular sodas contain only calories from high-fructose corn syrup and water. These calories will dramatically raise your insulin levels and generally shift your body into fat storage mode immediately. The American Heart Association recommends that "added sugars" such as high-fructose corn syrup should make up no more than 5 percent of the total calories you consume.
Margarine
Margarine should also be avoided because it has high levels of trans fat. Margarine is considered so undesirable that the American Heart Association actually recommends cooking or using butter instead. Olive oil, canola oil or sources high in healthful unsaturated fats are even better. The University of Pennsylvania lists margarine as the first food on its list of the "Top 10 Foods to Beware" because of its high trans fatty acid content. If you must use margarine, soft-tub margarine is usually lower in trans fat than stick margarine.
