According to the American Heart Association, saturated fat is the leading cause of high blood cholesterol levels. The Harvard School of Public Health reports that saturated fat and cholesterol can cause many health problems, including heart disease, infertility and obesity. By reducing your consumption of cholesterol and saturated fat, you can decrease your blood cholesterol levels. The following list of foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol will help you become aware of what foods to avoid.
Meat Items
To reduce your saturated fat and cholesterol intake, eat lean meats like chicken and fish instead of fattier meats such as pork and beef. Meat items including veal, pork, poultry, beef and lamb are high in saturated fat. A study published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute discovered that a diet high in dairy products and red meat increases your risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Organ meats like livers and kidneys are also higher in saturated fat and cholesterol than more common meat cuts. It is important to remove excess fat (and the skin from chicken) before preparing meat.
Dairy Products
Besides increasing your risk of pancreatic cancer, whole milk products like cheese, ice cream and cream cheese can raise your cholesterol levels. Some of the main sources of saturated fat include whole milk, coconut milk, cheese and ice cream.
Eggs
The yolk of eggs contains a great deal of cholesterol. Use egg whites and egg substitutes when you cook to adhere to a low-cholesterol diet.
Snack Items
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, many sweets and snack items (including pastries, cookies and chips) are high in cholesterol and saturated fat. Choose healthier desserts and snacks like low-fat pastries, angel food cake and graham crackers.
Oils
Certain oils (such as palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil) are high in saturated fat. It is best to have a diet that is low in such oils in order to avoid high cholesterol and saturated fat levels. The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine also recommends avoiding consumption of foods that contain margarine, vegetable shortening and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil to keep your cholesterol and saturated fat level low.
