When talking about "bad" cholesterol, you're typically referring to low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol. With this type of lipid, anything over 159 milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood (mg/dL) is considered high and increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. While there are a number of things you can do to keep LDL levels within an optimal range, the foods that make up your diet often have a bearing on whether this bad cholesterol becomes an issue.
Meat
Meat is by far one of the main contributing factors to the high levels of LDL in your bloodstream. Foods like steak, roasts, hamburger, pork, sausage, bacon, ham, lamb and veal have large amounts of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. According to the American Heart Association, your diet should contain no more than 7 percent of its caloric intake from saturated fat.
Dairy
Another significant factor in the formation of bad cholesterol is dairy. Milk, cream, half-and-half, butter, yogurt, ice cream and cheese can all contain both dietary cholesterol and saturated fat, especially in their "whole" or "full-fat" varieties. To lower your risk of high cholesterol, stick to skim milk and low-fat versions of yogurt, ice cream and other dairy products. While they tend to have far less fat, they can still contain cholesterol. Use moderation, because the American Heart Association recommends that you consume fewer than 300 mg of dietary cholesterol each day.
Fried Foods and Baked Goods
It's also common to experience an increase in bad cholesterol when your diet includes a number of fried foods. Most fried foods and commercial baked goods are prepared with or fried in either partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils, which are both rich in trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids can raise the levels of LDLs in your blood, forming plaque along the arterial walls and narrowing your blood vessels. Your diet should contain no more than 1 percent of its caloric intake from trans fat, according to the American Heart Association.
Processed Foods
Much like fried foods and baked goods, most of your standard processed foods, like meal helpers, prepared sides, chips, cookies, crackers and margarine, are prepared with partially hydrogenated oil or hydrogenated oil than contain trans-fatty acids.
