Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is made by your body and consumed in food. It has important functions in the body, such as cell membrane maintenance, vitamin D production and the synthesis of bile, along with hormones that regulate growth, development and reproduction. High levels of cholesterol in the blood may lead to heart disease, heart attacks and coronary heart disease. This is because cholesterol can stick to your coronary arteries, clog them up and reduce or cut off blood flow to your heart. Certain foods contain cholesterol and others cause your body to make more cholesterol. To reduce your risk for heart disease, limit or avoid these foods.
Saturated Fats
Saturated fats increases your blood levels of cholesterol more than most foods. This is because it's presence in the body induces your liver to create more cholesterol in addition to the cholesterol it creates already. Saturated fats can be found in most animal products, like beef, veal, poultry with the skin attached, egg yolk, hot dogs, salami, bologna, whole milk products, some baked goods and butter. Plant sources of saturated fats include coconut, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernels. Avoid foods that contain saturated fats when watching your cholesterol levels. According to Mayo Clinic, saturated fats should provide less than 10 percent of your total daily calories.
Trans Fats
Trans fatty acids, better known as trans fats, are unsaturated oils that are heated in the presence of hydrogen. This process is called hydrogenation and turns oils that are liquid at room temperature to solids. It is done to give packaged foods more longevity on the shelves. Trans fats reduce the amount of good cholesterol in your body and increases the bad. This puts you at risk for heart disease. Read the nutritional information of packaged foods to see if they contain trans fat. Avoid foods that contain trans fats in your cholesterol-lowering diet.
Dietary Cholesterol
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, even though high cholesterol levels are associated with an increased risk for heart disease, consuming cholesterol-containing foods has only a modest impact on the blood cholesterol levels of some people and makes a big impact on others. For those whose blood levels are affected by dietary cholesterol, avoiding foods that contain cholesterol is important. Foods such as, eggs, liver, shrimp and lobster are rich in cholesterol. The Mayo Clinic suggests that you consume less than 300mg of dietary cholesterol a day.
