10 of the WORST Foods For Your Cholesterol Levels

Our fast-paced modern life has thrown up many challenges and we tend to compromise on many things. We always seem to be in a rush to catch up on something or the other and in the process the first thing we ignore is what we eat and how we eat. That, more than anything else, is responsible for high cholesterol levels.

Now, now...you know this is not good for you!

Now, now...you know this is not good for you!

Diet modification, coupled with exercise, is the best solution for lowering cholesterol levels but the sad part is that most of us tend to spend money on statin drugs rather than look for natural solutions. Simply avoiding foods that increase cholesterol can go a long way in reducing cholesterol levels in your body.

If you want to control cholesterol in your body, be sure to avoid the following foods.

1. Butter. Who doesn’t love butter? In fact fats add to the taste of food. But at the same time, it is not healthy for you if you have high cholesterol. It is actually one of the richest sources of cholesterol. One tablespoon of butter can contain almost 30mg of cholesterol.

2. Shortening. Shortening is a semisolid fat used for preparing baked foods. It is 100% fat as compared to 80% in butter. What is more important to note is that it is made from hydrogenated oils, which are loaded with trans-fat. Avoid eating pie crusts and fried foods.

3. Breakfast meats. Bacon, sausages (link and patty), ham and other meats that are normally eaten at breakfast are high in cholesterol, fats, calories and phosphates. You have simply to check the nutrition facts of these to realize the amount of cholesterol these can add to any meal.

4. Ice Cream. One cup of ice cream, any flavor, any brand, contains almost as much cholesterol as you should be eating in a day. Sugar content and preservatives in ice cream are equally harmful.

5. Fast food burgers. Every ingredient of burgers, especially super burgers, adds more cholesterol than is healthy for you. Bread, meat with preservatives, butter, cheese and bacon are all high cholesterol foods.

6. Soft drinks and Sodas. The average 12oz can contains 10 teaspoons of sugar. Too much sugar is not only bad for your cholesterol levels but also bad for overall health. Don’t think that you are consuming a healthy drink when you choose a diet variety of soft drink. These contain artificial sweeteners, which have been linked to cancer.

7. Doughnuts. What is a doughnut made of? And what do you drink to wash it down? Refined bread, refined sugar and refined oil. All these increase cholesterol levels, lead to obesity and increase the risk of heart disease.

8. Pizza. The only thing good in a slice of cheese pizza is the tomato sauce, the rest of it is all high in cholesterol.

9. French fries and potato chips. These are made from the unhealthiest fats, hydrogenated vegetable oils. Rich in trans-fats, these increase LDL or bad cholesterol and reduce HDL or good cholesterol.

10. Eggs. Eggs are actually good for your health but not if you have high cholesterol. Avoid egg yolk and eat only the white of an egg if you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol levels.

Lowering cholesterol is all about making healthy choices. Remember that home cooked food using natural and minimally processed ingredients is best for lowering cholesterol in your body.

(We have two types of cholesterol tests that allow you to monitor your cholesterol levels as you try to avoid these types of foods.  Check out our Home Cholesterol Test page to learn more!)

– Anne Hamilton

6 comments

  1. Ian says:

    Butter is not as harmful as margarine. Please research this.

    Ian

  2. Andre de Freitas says:

    Are there any non-invasive cholestorol tester on the market? If yes, any recommendations?

  3. Robert says:

    You might be asking yourself what you can do. As it turns out a lot! Of course, the easiest and most profound change is through diets to lower cholesterol. Figuring out the right things to eat, not just avoid, is the most immediate and long lasting change that needs to be made.
    Reference:
    http://www.hdlcholesterollevels.org/cholesterol-lowering-foods/

  4. ellen deaton says:

    Cholesterol may be affected by butter in a small percentage of the population but by and large butter is one of the best fats for you as it includes Vits D,A,K…the perfect combination to keep bones healthy and also immune system. Today’s cholesterol is contributed by man-made foods such as margarine, butter spreads, corn syrup, white sugar, vegetable oils. Anything natural is great for you so don’t be afraid of butter. Big myth supported and marketed by corporations who want to sell you man-made (big dollar foods for them). Anything natural is good for you and don’t let articles like this one fool you.

  5. Mike Wroe says:

    I may agree with a lot of the foods on the “worst foods” list but not for the reasons given. A lot of research and evidence at the present time is indicating that fat is not harmful. Rather we should significantly reduce our intake of carbohydrates especially sugar, refined carbs, and starch (which is treated as sugar when metabolised)from grains, potatoes, pasta etc. Obesity and diabetes is often a result of increased consumption of carbs which impact on insulin levels. For details of the latest scientific insights read Dr John Briffa or the latest offering on the Atkins diet.

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