Which High Cholesterol Foods to Eat (and Which to Avoid)

Author

Tye Medical Incontinence Products

Posted on

Oct 08, 2024

Book/Edition

Florida - Sarasota, Bradenton & Charlotte Counties

share-this
Share This

Yes, some high cholesterol foods are worth indulging in and beneficial for your health. So, don’t pass on the eggs or the full-fat yogurt if you want a nutrition boost. But there are others that should be passionately avoided, like processed meats. These high cholesterol foods can raise your risk for serious health conditions like heart disease.

Some confusion abounds about the cholesterol contained in foods, often called “dietary cholesterol”. Not all dietary cholesterol is bad, and in fact, it is often good for you and packed with nutrition. So don’t drop and run when you see a food containing cholesterol. Instead, pause and consider what type of food it is.

Here are 7 high cholesterol foods to enjoy and 4 to avoid in the name of good health.

Foods 1-7: Healthy High Cholesterol Foods to Enjoy

1. Eggs

white bowl filled with slices hard-boiled eggs

Despite all the bad publicity, eggs are a highly nutritious source of protein. But along with all the nutrients you also get about 207 mg of cholesterol per large egg. This is why the media began advising people to avoid them. But the bad press isn’t deserved.

According to researchers, despite the dietary cholesterol in eggs, they don’t raise LDL (or bad) cholesterol and may increase HDL (or good) cholesterol which is great for heart health. While other research suggests it’s possible for eggs to raise LDL, it’s generally accepted that 1-2 eggs daily are safe and not problematic for cholesterol levels.

2. Cheese

While cheese is often promoted as a food to be avoided, it’s still an excellent source of calcium and other nutrients. The reluctance to consume this dairy produce lies in the 20 mg of cholesterol contained in one slice of Swiss cheese, for example.

One study found that eating 3 ounces of full-fat cheese every day for 12 weeks didn’t raise LDL cholesterol even though this is considered a high intake level for cheese.

3. Shellfish

Shellfish like crab, clams, and shrimp provide large doses of protein, iron, B vitamins, and selenium. This type of seafood is also high in dietary cholesterol. A 3-ounce serving of canned shrimp packs 214 mg of cholesterol. Despite this, shellfish has a very positive impact on your cardiovascular health and may even improve your cognitive and visual health. Rather than clog your arteries with cholesterol, shellfish may actually have a positive impact on your arteries.

4. Pasture-Raised Steak

fork pulls a slice of medium-rare steak apart on a wooden cutting board

Pasture-raised steak is an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Why pasture-raised? Beef cows raised in pastures produce meat that contains less cholesterol and more omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower inflammation.

Red meat is high in saturated fat, making it more likely to raise LDL cholesterol levels. Choosing pasture-raised over feedlot beef is better for your heart health. A 4-ounce serving of pasture-raised steak has 62 mg of cholesterol, while the same size feedlot steak has 100 mg. Most people eat steak that is two or three times this serving size.

5. Organ Meats

Organ meats, like heart, liver, and kidney, are very nutritious but high in cholesterol. Nutrients like the antioxidant CoQ10, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 are all contained in chicken hearts. And eating just one cup provides 351 mg of cholesterol.

You’re better off eating unprocessed meats, including organ meats, in moderation than consuming them sparingly. This means eating some unprocessed red meat is actually more beneficial to your health overall. Most of our modern battles with cholesterol are grounded in our overconsumption of red meat, processed meat, and other processed foods.

6. Full-Fat Yogurt

spoon sits beside a bowl of yogurt with fresh berries

One cup of full-fat yogurt contains 31.8 mg of cholesterol along with several nutrients. But don’t let the notable dietary cholesterol keep you from enjoying your daily portion of yogurt. According to research, eating more full-fat fermented dairy products reduces LDL cholesterol instead of raising it. It also lowers blood pressure and your risk of stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.

7. Sardines

Not only are sardines a convenient source of protein, but they’re also packed with nutrients. A 3.75-ounce can of sardines has 131 mg of cholesterol. But it also contains 137% of the daily value for vitamin B12, 63% of vitamin D, and 35% of calcium. That’s a lot of nutrition and a nice load of dietary cholesterol. Despite the cholesterol, sardines have only 1.5 mg of saturated fat.

Foods 8-11: High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid

Some high cholesterol foods are harmful to your health instead of beneficial. Here are 4 high cholesterol foods to avoid.

8. Deep-Fried Foods

top-down view of french fries, wings, and onion rings

It’s worth avoiding foods like deep-fried meats and cheese. They’re high in cholesterol, calories, and may contain trans fats. This combination can increase your risk of heart disease and negatively affect your health in several ways. Eating too much fried food can also increase your risk of heart disease.

9. Fast Food

Fast food has a bad rap for a good reason. It continues to be a major risk factor for chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. If you eat a lot of fast food, you’re likely to have more belly fat, higher cholesterol and blood pressure, and unstable blood sugar.

10. Processed Meats

High cholesterol, processed meats like bacon, sausage, and hot dogs should be eaten sparingly. According to one review, just eating an additional 2-ounce serving of processed meat per day produced a 42% higher risk of developing heart disease.

11. Desserts

There is a reason they’re so tasty. They’re loaded with all the bad stuff we hate to love. Desserts like cakes, cookies, ice cream, pastries, and other sweet treats are laden with calories, unhealthy fats, and added sugars. And of course, they’re high in cholesterol.

These foods lack necessary nutrients like vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and protein. They also contain high levels of added sugar that cause obesity and diabetes which can lead to increased cholesterol and heart disease.

What Is Cholesterol?

red blood platelets flow through  a vein

It’s a waxy substance produced in our bodies and also found in animal products like eggs, dairy, and meat. Cholesterol serves a purpose and is necessary for healthy bodily function. It aids in hormone production, bile production (needed to digest fats), and vitamin D absorption.

Your liver makes cholesterol for your body’s use, but you can also take on “dietary” cholesterol when you eat animal products. Dietary cholesterol is the cholesterol you eat rather than producing naturally. HDL or “good” cholesterol helps your body process and pass excess cholesterol. LDL or “bad” cholesterol is what facilitates plaque buildup in your arteries.

If you eat extra cholesterol, your body will produce less. The reverse is also true. If you don’t eat much cholesterol, your body will increase production to ensure it has what it needs.

Is Dietary Cholesterol Bad for Your Health?

According to research, dietary cholesterol isn’t your enemy. It doesn’t significantly raise cholesterol levels in your body. In the general population, no link between dietary cholesterol and heart disease has been found. But it can slightly elevate your cholesterol levels, which isn’t an issue for most people.

Even in large amounts, most of the population doesn’t react to dietary cholesterol. Some people, however, are more affected by cholesterol in foods and are more susceptible to elevated levels.

Surprisingly, dietary cholesterol may even improve your LDL-to-HDL ratio, which is the best indicator of your heart disease risk. But it’s important to remember that just because dietary cholesterol may not be as harmful as you thought, those high-cholesterol foods aren’t always healthy. So, enjoy your full-fat yogurt in moderation but avoid deep-fried foods. Both contain dietary cholesterol, but one is far healthier than the other.

Saturated Fat Linked to High Cholesterol

plate piles high with bacon, pizza, chips, fries, and burgers

The real enemy seems to be too much saturated fat which triggers your body to make cholesterol even if you don’t need it. Even if a food contains no dietary cholesterol, the saturated fat in that food contributes to your daily unhealthy fats intake. Too much can raise your cholesterol.

So if you’re concerned about high cholesterol, watch labels for the amount of saturated fat you’re eating. Choose foods that are lower in saturated but also contain other nutritional benefits. For example, choose a serving of whole milk yogurt over unhealthy desserts.

Tips for Lowering Your Cholesterol

High LDL cholesterol can build up in your arteries and increase your heart disease risk. But you can make lifestyle changes to lower elevated cholesterol.

  • Eat more fiber
  • Be more active
  • Lose weight
  • Eat more produce
  • Stop smoking

And remember to avoid the four big cholesterol-raising foods: deep fried food, fast food, processed meats, and most desserts. These foods aren’t harmful because of the dietary cholesterol they contain but because of the high amounts of saturated fats with little other nutritional benefit. It’s okay to eat something saturated. So you don’t have to avoid dessert every evening. Just be mindful of your daily choices. The average man should consume no more than 30 grams of saturated fat daily to maintain health, and the average woman should have no more than 20 grams.

Other Articles You May Like

Preparing Your Heirs for an Inheritance: Key Questions to Help Ease the Transition

In the popular imagination, receiving an inheritance always sounds like a good thing after all, who doesnt want a financial windfall? And inheritances can certainly be life-altering events. But they can cause challenges, so youll want to help your heirs be prepared.            To assist in this preparation, try to address some key questions affecting your heirs:             Do they know whats in your estate plans? Your family and other heirs will be much better prepared to deal with an inheritance if they know what to expect. Thats why its so important that you share your estate plans with everyone involved. You need to let them know the wishes and decisions youve expressed in your will and other legal arrangements, such as a living trust. Of course, sharing this information doesnt necessarily mean that all your heirs will be completely satisfied with your choices but at least they wont be surprised, and perhaps will be less likely to cause disputes when the time comes to settle your estate.             Will they know what to do with the money or other assets? You may be planning to leave your grown children a sizable amount of assets, possibly including cash, stocks, real estate, IRAs, 401Ks or other types of valuable personal property. But this inheritance brings with it several possible questions: Do your heirs already have an investment platform ready to accept inherited stocks? If you do leave behind rental property or a vacation home, can it be easily sold? These types of issues are generally not hard to resolve, but the more prepared your heirs are for their inheritance, the quicker they can take whatever actions are needed.               Are they prepared to handle any taxes that may result from the inheritance? Unless you have a very large estate, your heirs likely wont face federal estate taxes. (In 2024, the first $13.61 million of an estate is exempt from federal estate taxes.) However, other types of taxes may apply. A few states assess state inheritance taxes, and your heirs could incur federal and/or state income taxes when they withdraw money from inherited assets funded with pre-tax dollars, such as some retirement accounts. They could also face capital gains taxes when they sell inherited assets, such as stocks, for more than they were worth at the time of the inheritance. In any case, inheritance-related taxes can be complex, so you and your family and other heirs should discuss these issues with your tax advisor.             Will they be liable for any outstanding expenses? If you have developed a comprehensive estate plan, it's unlikely your heirs will be on the hook for any outstanding expenses, such as credit card balances or funeral costs. If you do still carry a mortgage, though, and you are planning on leaving your house to your heirs, they may want to be prepared to act quickly to sell it.            When leaving an inheritance, theres a lot involved emotionally, financially and legally. So, do whatever you can to make the entire process as easy as possible for your loved ones. By communicating your wishes regarding the inheritance, and by considering all the issues that may arise, you can go a long way toward achieving the outcomes you desire. Chad Choate III, AAMS828 3rd Avenue WestBradenton, FL 34205941-462-2445chad.chaote@edwardjones.comThis article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Balancing College Savings and Retirement: How to Prioritize Both for a Secure Future

If youre a parent, you want to do everything you can to help your children succeed in life. Therefore, you might think that one of the best things you can do is to save for your childrens college education. And this is certainly admirable, but could it conflict with your ability to prepare for another key goal your own retirement?Of course, this would not be a problem if you had unlimited means, but most of us dont fall into that category. So, given the financial resources and income you do have, how should you approach the college-versus-retirement issue?Fortunately, its not necessarily an either-or scenario. However, it may make sense to prioritize saving for retirement over college, for two reasons.First, your children have a lot more time to pay for college than you have to save for retirement. In addition to any grants or scholarships your children may receive, they might need to take out loans. While its a good idea to keep this debt load as manageable as possible, its also true that most student loans can be repaid over a long period of time.And heres the second point: One of the best gifts you can give your children is to be self-sufficient in your retirement. You could easily spend two, or even three, decades as a retiree, so you will need to build considerable financial resources to pay for all those years. Your adult children will have their own financial needs to address, so youll be doing them a great favor by relieving them of any financial responsibilities on your behalf. Taking these factors into account, you may want to direct most of your saving and investing efforts toward achieving a comfortable retirement. Consequently, think about putting away as much as you can afford into your IRA and 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. Even with this focus on retirement, though, you may find opportunities to save and invest for your childrens education. For example, if you receive bonuses or income tax refunds, or your salary goes up, or youre able to free up money from your budget by reducing your debts, you could use these funds to invest in an education savings vehicle, such as a 529 plan. When you invest in a 529 plan, your earnings and withdrawals are federally tax free, provided the money is used for qualified education expenses such as tuition, room and board, books, and computers. Depending on where you live, you may also get some state tax benefits from your 529 plan. And a 529 plan isnt just for college it can be used for K-12 private school tuition costs, plus expenses from qualified apprenticeship programs, such as those found at trade schools eligible for Title IV federal student aid.It might not be easy to save and invest consistently for your retirement and your childrens education. But both goals are worthy after all, retirement can last a long time and college is expensive. So, try to develop a financial strategy that can allow you to make progress in both areas your efforts may well be rewarded.               Chad Choate III, AAMS828 3rd Avenue WestBradenton, FL 34205941-462-2445chad.chaote@edwardjones.com This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. 

Investing During Election Season: Focus on Your Strategy, Not the Ballot

With the presidential election just a few weeks away, the public is naturally interested in not just the outcome but what the results will mean for issues of national importance. As a citizen, you likely share these concerns but how about as an investor? After the votes are counted or even before should you make some moves in anticipation of possible changes in policy?  Lets look at the big picture first, through the lens of history. The financial markets have performed well and at times, not so well under Democratic and Republican presidents alike. And the same is true about which party controlled Congress.While it might be an overstatement to say that decisions made in Washington have no effect on the markets, its not always so easy to draw a direct line between what happens there and how the markets perform. For one thing, political candidates often make promises that are not fulfilled, or, if they are, have different results than intended. Also, other institutions can have a significant impact on the markets. For example, the Federal Reserve, which controls short-term interest rates, can certainly affect many market sectors. And there will always be external events, such as foreign conflicts and even natural disasters, that can make short-term impacts on the investment world.So, rather than making changes to your portfolio in anticipation of what might happen if certain candidates get elected, or even in response to actual policy changes, look to other factors to drive your investment decisions. These factors should include the following: Your goals  You probably have short- and long-term goals youd like to achieve. For your short-term goals, such as a wedding, a down payment on a house or a long vacation, you may want to invest in instruments that provide stability of principal. For your long-term goals, most important of which may be a comfortable retirement, you'll need to own a reasonable number of growth-oriented investments.             Your risk tolerance  When you build and maintain your investment portfolio, you'll need to accommodate your individual risk tolerance. All investments carry some type of risk, but you need to be comfortable with the overall risk level of your investments.             Your time horizon  Where you are in life is an important consideration when investing. When you are young and just starting out in your career, you may be able to focus more on growth, as you have time to overcome the inevitable short-term market downturns. But as you near retirement, you may want to consolidate any gains you may have achieved, and lower your risk level, by moving your portfolio toward a somewhat more conservative approach. Even in retirement, though, you will need some growth potential to stay ahead of inflation.             Your needs for liquidity  As you invest, youll need to maintain an adequate amount of cash and cash equivalents in your holdings. Without this liquidity, you might be forced to sell long-term investments in case you have unexpected expenses.             In any case, when it comes to investing, you may want to pay less attention to what names are on the ballot and instead vote for the longer-term strategies that reflect your needs and goals. Chad Choate III, AAMS828 3rd Avenue WestBradenton, FL  34205941-462-2445chad.chaote@edwardjones.com