Food not to eat for high cholesterol

According to Dr. Bhattacharya, the concept of high cholesterol is not as cut and dry as it seems. That’s because when doctors talk about cholesterol levels, they’re referring to average levels in a world where most people get more than they need. Dr. Bhattacharya recommends thinking about this more as a concept of “unhealthy levels of cholesterol” in your body.

Here’s why: “Imagine you live near a factory that gives off dangerous fumes. You might not have asthma or be coughing day in and day out, but in the back of your mind, you’re wondering if it’s healthy to inhale these fumes every day. That’s how I’d think about cholesterol: We’re all living in a world where we’re exposed to higher levels of it than we should be.”

When your body has more cholesterol than it needs, problems arise. Dr. Bhattacharya explains cholesterol begins to build up on the walls of your arteries, increasing your chance of developing heart disease and other serious problems.

One tricky thing about high cholesterol is that unlike some medical concerns, unhealthy cholesterol levels may not create noticeable symptoms. “It’s a game of trust,” explains Dr. Bhattacharya. “If your doctor tells you your cholesterol is too high, you need to act on it—even if you’re feeling well.”

Although high cholesterol doesn’t usually cause symptoms, Dr. Bhattacharya says there is one sign that can often go unnoticed: erectile dysfunction.

“We used to think erectile dysfunction in men over 40 was happening because people were getting older. But it’s a problem of blood flow. The blood vessels in the penis are like the blood vessels in the heart. When enough cholesterol cakes the walls of the blood vessels, blood and nutrients can’t get to those organs.”

Otherwise, the first symptoms are often a heart attack, stroke, or chest pain (called angina). Because the first symptoms of high cholesterol are often debilitating events like heart attack and stroke, it is especially important to get your cholesterol levels measured regularly by your doctor and make sure you are maintaining healthy levels.

Does high cholesterol cause heart attack or stroke?

“Heart attack and stroke are the most common problems caused by a very high cholesterol level,” says Dr. Bhattacharya. “When cholesterol builds up along artery walls, that’s called atherosclerosis—and heart attack and stroke are both typical diseases atherosclerosis can cause. When we think about the ways that we can prevent cardiovascular disease, which is the number-one cause of death in the world, controlling your cholesterol and blood pressure are key.”

Some foods contain cholesterol, but surprisingly they don’t make a big difference to the cholesterol in your blood. 

That's because most of us eat less than 300mg of cholesterol per day – a small amount compared to the amount of saturated fat we eat.

Cholesterol is made mainly in the liver. But it’s also found in animal foods such as eggs, shellfish, meat and dairy products.

Do I need to cut down on dietary cholesterol?

Most people don’t need to cut down on the cholesterol that’s found in foods- so you can still enjoy eggs and shellfish.

It’s much more important to cut down on foods which contain saturated fats. That’s because saturated fats affect how the liver handles cholesterol. So, eating saturated fats can raise your blood cholesterol. Try to replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats which are better for your heart.

For some people – those with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), those who have high cholesterol, and those who are at high risk of or have cardiovascular disease – the recommendation is to limit cholesterol in food to no more than 300mg a day. In the case of FH, ideally less than 200 mg a day.

Even though dietary cholesterol only has a small effect on blood cholesterol, people with high cholesterol and FH already have high levels of blood cholesterol, so it seems sensible not to eat too much cholesterol in food.

Which foods are high in cholesterol?

All animal foods contain some cholesterol. But by cutting down on the animal foods that contain saturated fats you will be keeping the cholesterol in your diet in check too.

Foods that contain cholesterol and are high in saturated fat.

Full fat dairy foods such as milk, cheese, yogurt and cream.

Animal fats, such as butter, ghee, margarines and spreads made from animal fats, lard, suet and dripping.

Fatty meat and processed meat products such as sausages.

There are some foods which are low in saturated fat but high in cholesterol. These include eggs, some shellfish, liver, liver pate and offal. Most people don’t need to cut down on the cholesterol that’s found in these foods.

Foods that contain cholesterol but are low in saturated fat.

Lean meat, especially offal, such as liver, kidney, sweetbreads, heart and tripe  

Prawns, crab, lobster, squid, octopus and cuttlefish.

Eggs (the cholesterol is in the yolk).  

For people with FH, or who have high cholesterol, or are at high risk of or have cardiovascular disease, you can still eat some of these foods, but you need to be more careful about how often you eat them to ensure you’re keeping within the guidelines. For example, you could eat three or four eggs a week, and shellfish such as prawns up to once or twice a week.

You should avoid liver and offal altogether because they are very rich sources of cholesterol.

The table below shows the amount of cholesterol in these types of foods:-

Food

Cholesterol (mg)

Per Portion

Eggs

·         1 very large

·         1 large

·         1 medium

·         1 small

256mg

240mg

200mg

185mg

Liver

·         Lamb, raw (100g)

·         Calf, raw (100g)

·         Chicken, raw (100g)

·         Pig, raw (100g)

430mg

370mg

380mg

260mg

Liver Pate (40g)

68mg

Kidney

·         Pig, raw (100g)

·         Lamb, raw (100g)

410mg

315mg

Heart

·         1 Lamb’s heart, raw (191g)

·         1 Pig’s heart, raw (266g)

267mg

210mg

Shellfish

·         Prawns, raw (140g)

·         Canned crab in brine (100g)

·         Fresh crab meat, cooked (100g)

·         Half a cooked lobster (250g)

210mg

72mg

169mg

275mg

Some shellfish such as cockles, mussels, oysters, scallops and clams are all low in cholesterol and in saturated fat and you can eat them as often as you like.

A word about eating liver

Liver is a lean meat which is high in cholesterol. It’s low in saturated fat and high in vitamins and minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, and vitamins A, B and D.

It’s generally a very healthy food to eat, but it’s so high in vitamin A that it’s best not to eat too much of it. For some people, eating liver often could mean that vitamin A builds up in the body, causing health problems.

The government recommends eating no more than one portion per week of liver or liver pate. If you do eat liver, avoid any supplements that also contain vitamin A in the form of retinol.

If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, avoid liver, liver pate and supplements which contain retinol completely.

Women who have been through the menopause should limit liver to no more than once a week.

Foods which don’t contain cholesterol

Cholesterol is only found in foods that come from animals, there is no cholesterol in foods that come from plants. So, there is no cholesterol in fruit, vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts, beans, peas and lentils.

What are the worst foods for high cholesterol?

What should you avoid if you have high cholesterol?