Cholesterol is divided into two categories, bad cholesterol and good cholesterol. Bad cholesterol is technically called low-density lipoproteins or LDL cholesterol. Good cholesterol is called high-density lipoproteins. Bad cholesterol is responsible for the deaths of millions of Americans from heart attacks. Bad cholesterol can also lead to high blood pressure and strokes.
Effects of Meat on Cholesterol
Some people choose a vegetarian diet to lower their cholesterol because vegetarian diets exclude red meat, poultry and seafood. In general, red meat contains a high amount of bad cholesterol. To lower your cholesterol, avoid sausages, bacon and meat with high amounts of lard. You don't have to become a vegetarian to lower your bad cholesterol; you can greatly reduce your meat intake instead.
Reduced Fat Diet
The American Dietetic Association recommends eating a vegetarian and vegan diet to reduce your bad cholesterol, if it is a well-balanced diet. If you are trying to lower your cholesterol from eating a vegetarian diet, you may have a difficult time lowering your bad cholesterol to a healthy amount, because the standard vegetarian diet can include foods containing high amounts of saturated fats and cholesterol like egg yolks and whole-fat dairy; hence the importance of a well-balanced diet that is low in saturated fats. Each egg contains about 215 mg to 250 mg of bad cholesterol, while the recommended daily cholesterol limit is 300 mg and 200 mg for those with heart issues, according to the American Heart Association.
Vegan Diet
The vegan diet is a type of vegetarian diet that goes to a stricter level, it excludes foods or food additives that include meat, poultry, seafood, dairy and eggs. The vegan diet is the vegetarian answer to lowering your cholesterol, if your cholesterol is diet-derived, because it eliminates all the sources of foods high in bad cholesterol.
Increasing HDL Cholesterol
Increase your HDL cholesterol intake, which can reduce your bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol is derived from vegetables, nuts and seeds, which are plentiful in vegetarian diets, while bad cholesterol is primarily animal derived.
