High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid List

If you have high cholesterol, it puts you at an increased risk of developing heart disease. If you've been told to lower your cholesterol, understand what cholesterol is and what kinds of food you should avoid. This will put you in a position to discern what foods to eat and drink, in the absence of a list. To start with, it is important to understand that cholesterol is required by the body, as it is used in the production of cell membranes and some hormones. However, when there is more than the required amount of this soft, wax like substance in our bodies, it becomes harmful. This excess cholesterol attaches itself to the walls of the arteries, narrowing, and at times even blocking them. This restricts or prevents the flow of oxygen carrying blood to the heart.

Understanding Cholesterol

Cholesterol is transported between cells by carriers called lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as "bad" cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as "good" cholesterol. HDL, LDL, triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol constitute the total cholesterol count. LDL (bad) cholesterol is the one that can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries in the form of plaque. High HDL levels reduce the risk of heart attack, and scientists believe that they carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, after which it is passed from the body. It may also remove excess cholesterol, thus slowing down plaque build up. Triglycerides are a type of fat made in the body and Lp(a) is a genetic variation of LDL (bad) cholesterol. Thus, the list of foods to avoid mostly contains foods that are high in LDL.

Foods to Avoid

Breakfast Foods

Food	Portion	Cholesterol (approximate milligrams)
Egg yolk	1 large	245
French toast, with butter	2 slices	116
Waffles, plain, prepared from recipe	75g	52
Croissant+butter	1 medium	38
Ham	2 slices	32
Butter	1 level tablespoon	31
Whole milk	1 cup	24
Cream cheese	1oz	27
Breakfast biscuit with egg and sausage	1	302

Lunch and Dinner Foods

Food	Portion	Cholesterol (approximate milligrams)
Fast food hamburger (double patty)	1	122
Fast food salad, cheese, egg, no dressing	1½ cup	98
Fast food Tacos	1 large	87
Fast food Corndog	1	79
Fast food submarine, roast beef	6''	73
Pepperoni pizza	1 small slice	14
Chicken liver, cooked	6 oz	880
Beef, liver	6 oz	648
Turkey, giblets	1 cup	419
Fast food shrimp, breaded, fried	6-8 shrimp	200
Turkey, neck	1	185
Beef, ground, 75% lean	6 oz	152

Desserts

Food	Portion	Cholesterol (approximate milligrams)
Spongecake	1 slice	107
Pecan Pie	1 slice	106
French Vanilla Ice cream	½ cup	78
Lemon meringue pie	1 slice	67
Chocolate cake without frosting	1 slice	55

Apart from knowing what foods to avoid with high cholesterol, you should also be aware of which foods one should eat to lower cholesterol. In your fight against cholesterol, you need to eat foods that lower your LDL and raise your HDL level. Foods rich in fiber are good for you as fiber fights against the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of natural fiber, with oatmeal and oat bran being among the best. Walnuts and almonds are also good for heart health, and are proven to reduce bad cholesterol. If you want to lower your cholesterol, along with adhering to this list of high cholesterol foods, also try to include sources of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.