Foods High in Cholesterol to Avoid

November 27, 2024 Posted by karthick srinivasan

High cholesterol, principally caused by physical inactivity, obesity, and an unhealthy diet, is a major risk factor for heart disease.¹ We’ll dig into its dangers and the 19 foods high in cholesterol that should be eaten in moderation when following a heart-healthy, low-cholesterol diet.

Why is High Cholesterol Dangerous?

Not all cholesterol is bad. For example, it is recommended to have a lot of high-density lipoprotein in order to have a healthy diet. Nonetheless, if you have too much low-density lipoprotein, known as bad cholesterol, this can raise your likelihood of getting heart disease or having a stroke. That’s why it's essential to either avoid foods high in cholesterol or cut down on them in order to promote good blood health.²

What are Foods with High Cholesterol?

While these are just a handful of the many foods high in cholesterol, a closer look at the traits they have in common may be helpful when considering how to judge all the other foods out there. The foods listed below do not have a place in a heart-healthy diet because they are high in cholesterol and include saturated and trans fats. Choose your food wisely and include foods containing healthier fats, like the unsaturated fats found in fish, nuts, and olive oil. These healthy fats can be rich in the same omega-3 fatty acids found in MegaRed’s heart health supplements. For more information on how to support a heart-healthy lifestyle, browse the other helpful articles in our Heart Health Center.

Fatty Red Meat

Butter burgers, lamb chops—these are just some of the red meats that are loaded with cholesterol.³ If you’re keeping your heart health and your cholesterol in mind, it’s best to avoid—or at least severely limit—the intake of these fattier red meats. And yes, if you were wondering if corned beef is high in cholesterol, you will be unsurprised to know that it is!

Pan-Frying Condiments

Limit your butter consumption by trading it in for margarine or olive oil. Butter, as well as bacon drippings, shortening, and coconut oil, is high in saturated fats and cholesterol.^{4, 5}

Egg Yolks

Limit egg yolks by swapping out whole eggs for egg whites to get rid of some cholesterol from your diet⁶—and you’ll still get to have your favorite omelet.

Fast Food

Hamburgers, fries, and fried chicken are hard to eat in small quantities and hard to justify eating at all if you have high cholesterol; these are often cooked in hydrogenated oils, which are very high in trans fats.⁷

Cheese

The most popular cheeses—cheddar cheese and American cheese—are the ones highest in cholesterol.⁸ Consider switching them out for low-cholesterol cheeses such as cottage cheese and ricotta cheese.

Whole Milk

Whole milk from a cow has more cholesterol inside than skimmed milk or lactose-free milk.⁹ Goat milk is also high in cholesterol. It’s worth trying coconut, almond, soy, or rice milk for a lower-cholesterol alternative.

Tropical Oils

Tropical oils such as coconut oil and palm oil are high in saturated fats, meaning that they are likely to increase cholesterol levels.¹⁰ Consider using a low-cholesterol oil, such as soybean oil, instead.

Butter

Butter is high in cholesterol and saturated fat. The latter can have a direct effect on your cholesterol levels. In fact, two tablespoons of butter contain more than the average person’s daily recommended amount of saturated fat,¹¹ meaning you should only consume it in small doses.

Shellfish

Shellfish are high in cholesterol, meaning that they should be avoided in high quantities. Nonetheless, they are low in saturated fats, so they are safe to eat in small amounts. Some shellfish have higher levels than others, such as lobster and shrimp, as opposed to the relatively low levels found in scallops and clams.¹²

Organ Meats

Pork liver, beef heart, or duck liver are an acquired taste for many people, but they are also high in nutrients such as B vitamins, iron, and zinc. It’s worth bearing in mind that they are high in cholesterol, in particular in organs such as the liver and the heart.¹³ Therefore, organ meats should be eaten in moderation.

Sardines

A modest can of sardines contains over 100 milligrams of cholesterol, meaning that you shouldn’t have any more than two four-ounce servings a week. Thankfully, some of this high cholesterol is offset by the high levels of omega-3.¹⁴

Full-fat Yogurts

While yogurt is, on the whole, great for your cholesterol, it can be dangerous when you’re eating the full-fat version. This is because it’s high in saturated fats.¹⁵ As an alternative, try the low-fat version instead.

Cream

Whether it’s heavy cream, cream cheese, sour cream, or light cream, creams—created from skimming the top off of milk—are high in saturated fats, meaning that if eaten in high quantities, they can raise your cholesterol levels.¹⁶

Ice Cream

Sometimes the nicest things aren’t necessarily good for you. Ice cream is high in saturated fat and refined sugar. If eaten in high doses, this can increase low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) levels in your blood.¹⁷

Cakes

Cakes, like a lot of baked goods, usually contain plenty of butter or shortening, meaning that they are high in saturated fats and cholesterol.¹⁸ That’s why, when buying or making a cake, you should certainly be looking at what you put into it.

Cookies

Cookies, just like cakes, are also high in cholesterol and unsaturated fats, especially if they are mass-produced.¹⁹ A healthy yardstick is around two small cookies a day.

Sweets

As most sweets have sugar in them, this can easily impact your cholesterol levels.²⁰ Make sure to read the packaging on every sweet you buy in order to lower your cholesterol intake.

Milk Chocolate

As milk chocolate includes dairy as a key ingredient, this can be high in cholesterol.²¹ That’s why it might make sense to eat healthier dark chocolate instead.

Steak

As steak is a thick cut of meat, usually coming from cows, this can raise your cholesterol levels, especially if it is fatty or served rare.²² This is why you should only have steak as a rare treat.

References

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