What are the worst foods for high cholesterol? What to avoid

We might need Cholesterol for our bodies to function properly but having too much of the fatty substance can cause a build-up in our blood vessels.

This build-up can be risky since it makes it harder for our blood to flow properly and eventually increases our risk of heart-related illnesses or strokes. 

High Cholesterol is caused by living an unhealthy lifestyle.

This includes eating too many fatty foods and not exercising enough. 

Smoking, drinking alcohol and being overweight are also considered causes of high cholesterol too.

If you're trying to bring your cholesterol levels down or you simply want to lead a healthier lifestyle, these are the foods you should be avoiding in your diet. 

What foods are bad for your cholesterol?

Mass General Brigham cardiologist Romit Bhattacharya, MD, has shared his expertise on the foods that are bad for our cholesterol.

On the Mass General Brigham website, Dr. Bhattacharya explained that it’s important to look out for animal products.

He noted that we need to particularly watch out for red meat and dairy.

“High-fat dairy is for growing calves,” Dr. Bhattacharya commented.

“It’s for growing infants who need cholesterol and fat in their diet to build their brains, their nerves, their bodies.

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"When we’re eating full-fat dairy and meat, we’re ingesting a whole lot of dietary cholesterol—particularly saturated fat, which has consistently proven to increase cholesterol levels.

"So, message number one is this: Decrease your saturated fat intake to at least less than 10% of your daily calories.”

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Given their high saturated fat content, we should be conscious of red meat including beef, pork, lamb processed meats like sausages.

We should also eat full-fat dairy, like cream, whole milk, and butter in moderation as well as baked goods and sweets

Fried foods, and tropical oils such as palm oil, coconut oil and butter are also all high in saturated fat content which means they should be avoided if you have high cholesterol.