Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance that builds up in the walls of your arteries, putting you at risk for heart attack, heart disease, stroke and other ailments. Your body makes cholesterol, states the American Heart Association, or AHA, but 25 percent of your blood cholesterol comes from dietary sources. If you have high cholesterol, there are certain types of foods to avoid eating in unrestrained amounts.
Cholesterol Basics
If you have high cholesterol, your levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol likely aren't within healthy limits. According to the AHA, LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels of between 130 to 190 mg/dL and above put you between the borderline high to very high range. Total cholesterol levels of 200 to 240 mg/dL and above also place you in the borderline high to high range. Triglycerides are yet another type of fat that are measured when you have your blood cholesterol levels run; however, high LDL levels are the main source of the problem, if you have high cholesterol.
High Cholesterol Culprits
Making modifications to your diet is one way to tackle high cholesterol, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, or NHLBI. Your body naturally produces LDL cholesterol; however, there are three contents to look for whenever you read the nutrition labels on your food products: saturated fat; trans-fatty acids, or trans fat; and dietary cholesterol. According to the NHLBI, foods high in saturated fat pose the most concern. The AHA advises keeping your total fat consumption to less than 25 to 30 percent of your daily caloric intake.
Saturated Fat
Saturated fat is found mostly in animal products, but some plant foods contain it as well. Beef, veal, lamb, poultry fat and milk and milk products, such as cheese, butter and cream, are sources of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. Cocoa butter, the coconut and its oil and palm and palm kernel oil are also sources of saturated fat. Avoid getting more than 6 percent of your total calories from saturated fat each day, the AHA advises.
Trans-Fatty Acids
Beef, pork, lamb and butterfat contain trans-fatty acids, or TFA, in minute amounts, says the AHA. You're more likely to find TFA in foods that have been hydrogenated, such as cooking oils, margarine and shortening. Keep an eye peeled for "trans fat" on the nutrition facts label of the foods you select. Restrict trans fats to less than 1 percent of your daily caloric intake. The AHA uses the example of a 2,000-calorie diet, in which you'd eat less than 2 g of trans fat each day.
Dietary Cholesterol
According to the State Government of Victoria's Better Health Channel, most foods that are high in cholesterol are also high in fat -- any animal-based food contains at least some cholesterol. You get most of your dietary cholesterol from eggs, animal meat and whole fat milk and dairy products.
Other Fats
Unsaturated fats -- polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats -- don't appear to have an effect on your cholesterol levels, says the AHA; in fact, they may even contribute to lowering your blood cholesterol. You find these "good" fats in foods such as fish, seeds, avocados, nuts and oils derived from soybeans, corn, canola, safflower, olive and sunflower. The AHA suggests substituting unsaturated fats for saturated fats in your daily diet.
Other Tips
Choose heart-healthy foods to reduce your LDL cholesterol. MayoClinic.Com suggests eating oatmeal, oat bran and other high-fiber foods, fish abundant in omega-3 fatty acids, olive oil, nuts -- especially walnuts and almonds -- and foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols, such as orange juice and yogurt drinks. The most important thing to keep in mind when learning what to avoid eating is reading nutrition facts labels carefully when perusing the market aisles. As a general rule, foods to specifically avoid include processed meats, chips, fast food, any food that's deep-fried, fatty cuts of meat and packaged cookies, cakes and pastries, states the Better Health Channel.
