The typical American diet is fueling an epidemic of heart disease. Consuming foods high in fat and dietary cholesterol is the primary reason for the high blood cholesterol associated with cardiovascular disease, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. You can reduce your blood cholesterol and your risk for heart disease by cutting out items that cause high cholesterol and eating foods known to remedy this medical condition.
Dietary Cholesterol
Animals produce cholesterol in their livers. Animal products like meat, eggs, whole milk and cheese contain cholesterol. Food that comes from plants does not contain cholesterol. The cholesterol content of otherwise healthy foods is often increased during preparation by adding butter, cream or packaged products.
Risk
You do not have to consume cholesterol for your body to function properly; your liver would produce all you need. A diet high in fat and cholesterol raises the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Excess cholesterol and other substances build up inside the walls of your blood vessels. This accumulation injures arteries and prevents blood from flowing efficiently to vital organs, including the brain, kidneys and heart. If you have coronary heart disease or your LDL cholesterol level is 100 mg/dL or greater, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams a day. A healthy person should consume less than 300 mg of cholesterol per day.
High-Cholesterol Foods
Certain foods are very high in cholesterol. A cup of cooked chicken giblets contains 641 mg of cholesterol, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is more than twice the recommended amount of cholesterol in a healthy person's diet. A slice of pecan pie or piece of cake are also high in cholesterol. Many items from fast food restaurants contain large amounts of cholesterol, like double cheeseburgers and fries, breakfast sandwiches or chili.
Alternatives
There are several remedies to a diet filled with high cholesterol foods. Cut meat portion sizes down so that one serving of meat is as large as a deck of cards. Trim all visible fat from meat before cooking. Choose lean cuts of meat. Eat more vegetarian meals. Increase fiber-rich foods like whole grain products and vegetables. Cold water fish like mackerel and salmon are high in omega-3 fatty acids, known to be beneficial to cholesterol levels. Use egg whites or egg substitute instead egg yolks. Use olive or canola oil instead of shortening or fat for cooking. Cook at home whenever possible to avoid the high cholesterol menu at fast food restaurants.
