From the thick porterhouse steak, cooked medium-rare, to the tender doughnut fresh from the vat, foods high in cholesterol and saturated fat are pervasive in the American diet. The description of a diet high in cholesterol and saturated fat is likely to be both palate-pleasing and hunger-sating. However, this type of diet is unhealthy and can have devastating effects on your blood cholesterol levels, putting you at risk for serious health problems, like heart disease and stroke.
Cholesterol and Diet
Cholesterol is the soft, fatty substance that clings to the walls of your arteries, leading to potential blockage. Your body makes cholesterol, and you get only 25 percent of it from meals and snacks, but that 25 percent matters. Saturated fat can increase the amount of low-density lipoprotein or "bad" cholesterol in your blood, but trans fats have more of an effect on your cholesterol, says the Harvard School of Public Health, raising bad LDL and lowering high-density lipoprotein or "good" cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is in the foods you eat; according to the Harvard School of Public Health, the effect of dietary cholesterol in many people is negligible. However, some people are highly sensitive to dietary cholesterol.
Feasting on Fat
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Harvard School of Public Health, a diet high in saturated fat includes the fattiest cuts of beef, lamb and pork and poultry served with the skin on. Also high in saturated fat are processed meats, such as bacon, ham and lunch meats. Don't forget whole-milk dairy foods -- butter, cheese, milk and ice cream. Even a few plant-based foods are high in saturated fat, such as coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil. Trans fats are even easier to come by, because this involves simply relying on packaged and prepared foods for most of your meals. If you want plenty of trans fats, sneak in a lot of boxed cookies, chips and other "junk" foods. Supersize the fries at the fast food counter. If you fit the profile of the average American, you probably eat around 6g of trans fats each day, says the Harvard School of Public Health -- far more than is healthy.
Dietary Cholesterol Delights
Dietary cholesterol is found only in animal foods, but not all foods have the same amount. Foods high in cholesterol include egg yolks and organ meats, such as liver, kidneys, sweetbreads and brains. According to MayoClinic.com, healthy adults should restrict dietary cholesterol to less than 300mg each day. A daily egg, which contains around 213mg of cholesterol, probably won't affect you, as long as you keep saturated and trans fats low. However, to get a real rise in your dietary cholesterol -- and fats -- order the three-egg cheese omelet with bacon on the side.
The Triglyceride Gourmet
Triglycerides may not get as much attention as the notoriously bad LDL cholesterol. However, high levels of triglycerides also up your chance for heart disease, says MayoClinic.com. Triglycerides are another type of fat in your blood and are comprised of superfluous calories that your body doesn't need to use right away. A daily diet that far exceeds your daily calorie count can cause high triglycerides. Consuming a lot of saturated and trans fats can affect your triglycerides. If you want to push the limit, reach for those empty calories, like refined foods heavy on the sugar and/or made from white flour. Alcohol is also high in sugar, points out MayoClinic.com. Don't restrain yourself during happy hour to get your triglycerides on the rise.
A Healthy Diet
A diet high in cholesterol and saturated fat may be tasty -- and it may abundant in foods to which your taste buds have become accustomed. However, to keep your cholesterol under control and reduce your risk for heart disease, the AHA recommends restricting total fat consumption to less than 25 to 35 percent of your daily caloric intake. Make sure you get less than 7 percent of your total calories from saturated fat and less than 1 percent from trans fats. The rest should come from healthy fats -- monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats -- from sources, such as fish, nuts and seeds. Cap dietary cholesterol at less than 300mg each day, and less than 200mg a day if you already have high cholesterol or heart disease. Drink alcohol in moderation.
