Heart disease risk increases when blood cholesterol levels go above 240 mg/dl, according to FamilyDoctor.org, a website maintained by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Your body stores excess cholesterol in your blood. Some of this cholesterol may deposit on your artery walls and lead to hardening of the arteries and heart disease. Cholesterol levels increase based on the amount of cholesterol you consume and the amount of cholesterol your body makes.
Cholesterol
Your body uses cholesterol to protect the nerves, produce hormones, and make cell tissues. Since the liver produces enough cholesterol to keep the body functioning normally, you do not need to consume cholesterol from your diet. However, unless you follow a vegan diet, you consume cholesterol every day from animal-based foods such as meat, eggs and dairy.
Fats
The intake of too many fats, especially saturated fats, may elevate your cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease. Barbara Mendez, a nutritional consultant and registered pharmacist who runs a private practice in New York City, explains that only 25 percent of people have high cholesterol because of a high cholesterol intake; the rest have high cholesterol because of their saturated fat intake. Your liver turns excess saturated fat into cholesterol. Food sources of saturated fat include meats, dairy products, fried foods, baked goods and butter. A diet high in saturated fats is worse for most people than a diet high in cholesterol, according to Mendez. However, you may be among the 25 percent of people who have elevated cholesterol levels because of dietary intake of cholesterol; so Mendez advises limiting your intake of both cholesterol and saturated fat.
Protein
Animal-based sources of protein may cause you to consume too much cholesterol and saturated fat, increasing you risk of heart disease. Limit your intake of animal-based foods to help control your cholesterol levels and decrease this risk. Plant-based sources of protein include soy products, legumes, nuts, seeds, lentils, whole grains and meat substitutes. Animal-based proteins that contain less cholesterol include fish, egg whites and skinless poultry. Mendez suggests getting most of your protein from plant-based sources and limiting your intake of red meats, processed meats, egg yolks and poultry with skin.
Diet Recommendations
The American Heart Association provides recommendations on fat and cholesterol intake to help decrease the prevalence and risk of heart disease. Healthy adults should consume less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day, while those with heart disease or high blood cholesterol levels should consume less than 200 mg each day. Limit your total fat intake to less than 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories, your saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of daily calories, and your trans fat intake to less than 1 percent.
