High cholesterol levels can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke, so it’s important to monitor your cholesterol. Changing your diet can lower your blood cholesterol, Express.co.uk explains what to AVOID on your mission to lower cholesterol.
What are the worst foods for high cholesterol?
If you have a high cholesterol level, you should evaluate the amount of fat you eat.
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More importantly, you need to watch what kind of fats you are consuming.
Some fats are good for cholesterol levels, while others raise cholesterol.
Saturated fat
There are two main types of fat: saturated fat and unsaturated fat.
Saturated fats can raise your cholesterol level, and unfortunately, they’re found in many foods.
Foods high in saturated fat include:
• Meat cakes
• Sausages and fatty cuts of meat
• Butter, ghee and lard
• cream
• Hard cheeses
• Cakes and cookies
• Foods that contain coconut or palm oil
Trans fat
Trans fats are another type of fat that can raise cholesterol levels.
You will find trans fat naturally in small amounts in some foods such as meat, milk and dairy products.
However, artificial trans fats are more common and can be found in some processed foods such as cookies and cakes.
You should always check food labels for trans fats.
Beware of a label that says hydrogenated fats or hydrogenated oilsas trans fats are found in hydrogenated fats.
Foods that naturally contain cholesterol
Some foods actually contain a type of cholesterol called «dietary cholesterol» or «good cholesterol.»
The following foods are considered dietary cholesterol and are higher in cholesterol than other foods:
- Kidneys
- Eggs
- Prawns
Nevertheless, dietary cholesterol is not as bad for your cholesterol level as saturated fat.
unsaturated fat
As mentioned earlier, saturated fats are a key factor in high cholesterol.
Eat foods that contain unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats It will lower your cholesterol levels.
Foods high in unsaturated fats include:
• Oily fish, such as mackerel and salmon
• Walnuts, almonds and cashews (also known as cashews)
• Seeds, such as sunflower and pumpkin seeds
• Avocados
• Vegetable oils and spreads, such as rapeseed (rapeseed oil or also called canola oil) or vegetable oil, sunflower oil (also called marigold oil), olive oil, corn oil, and walnut oil.
Fiber
High fiber foods will lower cholesterol and adults should consume at least 30 g of fiber daily.
Be sure to mix your fiber sources and eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
Good sources of fiber include:
• Whole grain bread, bran and whole grains
• Fruits and vegetables
• Potatoes with skin
• Oats and barley
• Legumes, such as beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils
• Nuts and seeds