What Food To Take For High Cholesterol

Good Vs Bad Cholesterol

Cholesterol travels through your bloodstream in small packages called lipoproteins, which are made up of fat on the inside and proteins on the outside. Because fats arent water-soluble, this binding with proteins helps move them through the bloodstream.

Its important to have healthy levels of two lipoproteins that carry cholesterol throughout the body: low-density lipoproteins and high-density lipoproteins . Both LDLs and HDLs transport cholesterol in and out of cells and are involved in damage control of cells and tissues.

LDLs carry 75 percent of the cholesterol in our bodies and are the cholesterol compounds most involved in cell damage and tissue repair and protection. HDLs do only 25 percent of the work they transport cholesterol to and from the liver and serve as the bodys cholesterol-recycling system.

LDL is called bad cholesterol because when your levels of LDL are high, this can lead to a buildup of cholesterol in your arteries. When you have high levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood, you have a greater chance of developing heart disease. LDL cholesterol also raises your risk for a condition called peripheral artery disease, which can develop when plaque buildup narrows an artery supplying blood to the legs.

Conversely, HDL cholesterol is known as good cholesterol because it can carry cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver, where its properly broken down and removed from your body.

Replace Saturated Fats With Healthier Fats

Replacing foods that contain mainly saturated fats with foods that contain unsaturated fats such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats will help reduce your cholesterol level.

For example, instead of butter and cream in cooking, use olive oil, nut butters or avocado.

Healthy unsaturated fats are found in:

• fruits and vegetables

Duck: Okay In Small Quantities

It makes sense to assume that duck should be relatively low in cholesterol like similar meats such as chicken and turkey. In small quantities duck isnt particularly harmful, but since its typically served as part of a large meal its easy to take in a large quantity of cholesterol from a duck meal. This is the case regardless of whether the skin is removed.

Its not unusual for a serving of duck such as one you might get at a Chinese restaurant to contain over 100 milligrams of cholesterol in the meat alone, not including cholesterol in gravies and cooking oils.

Recommended Reading: What Is The Maximum Amount Of Cholesterol Per Day

How Long To Stay On A High

Once you’ve changed how you eat to help manage your cholesterol, you’ll likely need to keep those changes long-term. Going back to your previous diet may encourage your levels to rise again.

It may help to think about your new way of eating as a permanent lifestyle modification rather than a temporary diet.

What Is High Cholesterol

You have two main types of blood cholesterol in your body: low-density lipoprotein , which is often called bad cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein , often referred to as good cholesterol. Total cholesterol is a combination of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Thenormal range for total cholesterol is 125-200 mg/dL . Anything above that is considered high.

According toRobert Greenfield, MD, cardiologist and lipidologist at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center, certain foods and diets can influence cholesterol levels in your body.

The best diet for high cholesterol will include specific foods you should eat and ones to avoid. Read on to discover tips on how to lower cholesterol levels through medication, exercise, and other lifestyle modifications.

Don’t Miss: How To Lower Cholesterol Without Statins

Which Are The Various Types Of Fat

Generally, people should aspire to have a diet that rallies high HDL cholesterol levels and low LDL cholesterol levels.

However, fat intake impacts this balance because fatty acids attach to liver cells and standardize the production of cholesterol.

You should take note of not only the general amount of fat in your diet but also where the fat is coming from. That said, lets look at the types of fat found in foods today.

Saturated fats: Saturated fats are primarily found in dairy products and meat. They direct the liver to generate more LDL cholesterol).

Trans fats: Trans fats are solid vegetable oils. Manufacturers usually employ an artificial procedure known as hydrogenation to generate Transfats. Some of the foods that contain Transfats include baked goods, fried foods, and packaged foods.

Unsaturated fats: Unsaturated fats are more common in beans, fish, nuts, plants, seeds, and vegetable oils. Specific unsaturated fats can help increase the level at which the liver reabsorbs and breaks down LDL cholesterol.

Foods With Added Sterols And Stanols

Sterols and stanols are plant chemicals which are a similar size and shape to cholesterol. They are absorbed from the intestines into the blood stream and block some cholesterol from being absorbed, lowering the cholesterol in your blood.

We get a small amount of sterols from plant-based foods such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, but its not enough to lower cholesterol. So, food companies have developed foods with plant sterols or stanols added to them, such as mini yogurt drinks, fat spreads, milk and yogurts.

These fortified foods lower your cholesterol gradually, over a few weeks, and how much depends on the amount you eat. Some experts believe they are the most effective single food for lowering cholesterol.

Who should eat foods with sterols and stanols added?

Sterols and stanols have been thoroughly researched, so they can be added to foods and are safe to eat.

They are suitable for:

• People with high cholesterol theres no real benefit if you dont have high cholesterol.
• Children with inherited high cholesterol such as familial hypercholesterolaemia with support from a doctor or dietitian.
• People taking statins sterols and stanols will help to lower your cholesterol further because they work in a different way to the statin.

They are not suitable for:

Aim for: one to three servings of fortified foods a day. This will give you 1.5 to 3g of stanols and sterols.

Three servings of: OR

• 1 glass of milk

One product a day:

You May Like: Is There Cholesterol In Beer

Weight And High Cholesterol

Although BMI is not a perfect indicator of health, a BMI in the overweight or obese range tends to raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol. Keep your weight in the normal range through diet and exercise to prevent, as well as treat, high cholesterol.

For men, a waist measurement of 40 inches and 35 inches for women generally puts you at a higher risk of high cholesterol.

Skip High Sugar High Fat Beans

Beans are great sources of fiber and other nutrients, but if they are loaded with sugar or have pork, pick another version. Choose black beans without sugar. They are high in protein and fiber and do not have saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends those who have high triglycerides limit their intake of saturated fat, added sugar, and salt and increase their intake of whole grains, fruits, lean meats, legumes, fat-free or low-fat dairy, seafood, poultry, nuts, and non-starchy vegetables. This helps lower triglycerides and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, fatty liver disease, and diabetes. Eating this way provides your body with vitamins and nutrition to support optimal health.

Also Check: Does White Rice Have Cholesterol

Turkey Breast: 136 Mg 45% Dv

Turkeys popularity might peak around Thanksgiving, but it deserves more time in the spotlight. While a 6-ounce serving of roasted turkey breast has 45 percent of the DV for cholesterol, it only has 1 gram of saturated fat . Because saturated fat is the type of fat you want to limit, turkey can be a healthier option for meat lovers.

Try it as a lean alternative to ground beef in these creative ground turkey recipes.

Printable High Cholesterol Food List

Cholesterol is perhaps one of the most misconstrued materials.

For years now, people have kept away from healthy yet cholesterol-rich foods such as eggs because of the fear that foods can increase the risk of heart disease.

However, new research reveals that taking healthy foods high in cholesterol wont deter health for most people. In addition, a couple of cholesterol-rich foods incorporate vital nutrients that are not in most peoples diets.

This discussion reveals why people shouldnt necessarily fear foods with cholesterol, some of the high-cholesterol foods you can take, and those you should avoid.

You May Like: What Should My Cholesterol Count Be

Tips For Reduce High Cholesterol Level

• Exercise regularly. Exercising is great for overall health. To some extent, it can help reduce cholesterol levels as well.
• Dont smoke. If you are addicted to smoking, stop doing it. Smoking damages heart health which negatively impacts your raising cholesterol level.
• Limit alcohol consumption. Lowering alcohol intake can improve heart health, liver health, and control blood pressure. So, try limiting alcohol for your good.

How Do I Know If I Have High Cholesterol

Many Australians don’t know they have high cholesterol, because there are no symptoms. High cholesterol can only be detected through a blood test.

Some people have a condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia where a genetic problem leads to high cholesterol. About one in 500 Australians has this condition and many dont know they have it. If you have a family history of high cholesterol or of heart disease at a young age, ask your doctor about your risk.

Don’t Miss: Which Is The Good Cholesterol In The Body

Foods To Avoid To Improve Cholesterol

To keep your numbers in check, stay away from high-sugar, highly processed, and empty-calorie foods. Here are some to watch out for.

• Fried foods: French fries, onion rings, fried chicken, potato chips.
• Processed meals and snacks: Boxed meal mixes, fast food, hot dogs, cookies, bakery products, fruit snacks, and candies.
• Refined grains: White bread, white pasta, white rice, and white flour in baking.
• Sweetened beverages: Juice, soda, energy drinks, and excessive amounts of alcohol.

Whole Grains And Oat Bran

Oat bran is an excellent source of a soluble fiber known asbeta-glucan, which may reduce the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Also, increasing your intake of whole grains like brown rice, bulgur, quinoa, and steel-cut oats can help lower LDL cholesterol levels, according to a 2015 systematic review published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

There are two types of fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is the main cholesterol-lowering fiber type. Blatner says fiber can act like a sponge to soak up excess cholesterol and remove it from the body. Including foods with soluble fiber in your diet can helpreduce LDL cholesterol.

Also Check: What Should Your Bad Cholesterol Be

What Your Numbers Mean

Looking at your blood test results, you’ve probably noticed that there are two types of cholesterol, LDL and HDL. You may have also heard that there’s “good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol, both of which are important in evaluating your cardiovascular health. Confused yet?

A quick refresher: LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, is the “bad” kind of cholesterol. It transports tiny droplets of fat throughout the body, depositing them in your arteries, where they block blood flow. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, on the other hand, is the “good” kind of cholesterol that helps cleanse your blood vessels of the gnarly gunk that can clog them. .

You can take different measures to change your LDL and HDL through a diet, but in general, dietary tips for raising one and lowering the other don’t conflict. If both your numbers need adjusting, there’s no need for two separate diet plans.

Getting Accurate Test Results

Getting a cholesterol test is easy. It involves having a tubes worth of blood drawn from your arm during a routine visit to your physician. The preparation, however, takes a little effort to ensure the most accurate reading. Food and drink can affect your triglyceride level, so you should fast for 12 hours beforehand. You should also avoid drinking alcohol for at least 24 hours before the test. You can drink water and take most medications you normally use, as these should not affect the test results. If you are not sure about your medications, check with your doctor before getting the test done.

Also Check: Statin For Cholesterol And Triglycerides Side Effects

Plant Sterols And Stanols

Plants produce substances calledsterols which act to block excess cholesterol absorption in the body. Eating a diet which is rich in fruit and vegetables means that we have a natural intake of these substances, but there are also some products specifically designed to get high levels of plant sterols and stanols into our diet. These are usually in the form of low-fat dairy products which are advertised as cholesterol-lowering foods.

Who Should Follow A Cholesterol

If you are among the 1 in 8 American adults with high total or LDL cholesterol, it can be worth your while to learn about foods to lower cholesterol. Even if you are on cholesterol-lowering medications, changing what you eat can make them more effective.

A cholesterol-lowering diet may also be valuable if you are likely to develop high cholesterol in the future due to risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, family history, and being overweight. In case you are worried about bang for your buck, you can rest assured that a cholesterol-lowering diet is likely to be good for your blood sugar, too.

You May Like: Is Tuna Fish Bad For Cholesterol

You May Like: Is Krill Oil Good For Lowering Cholesterol

Reduce Your Intake Of Saturated And Trans Fats

Adopt and follow a healthy diet thats low in saturated and trans fats. A diet high in these fats can raise levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature. Its found in animal products such as meat and dairy, but also in palm oil, coconut oil and full-cream milk. Read more about saturated fat-rich foods here.

Trans fats are found in store-bought baked goods, snack foods and deep-fried foods. There is strong evidence that trans fats increase levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood, while decreasing levels of HDL cholesterol.

Some foods contain cholesterol . Foods that contain cholesterol include liver, pate, kidneys, prawns and egg yolks. These types of food are not usually eaten in large quantities, so its OK to include them in your diet in small amounts.

Foods that contain saturated fats have a greater effect on blood cholesterol levels than foods that contain dietary cholesterol.

Foods That Fight High Cholesterol

It’s easy to eat your way to an alarmingly high cholesterol level. And the reverse is true too changing what you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the composition of the armada of fats floating through your bloodstream. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and “good fats” are all part of a heart-healthy diet. But some foods are particularly good at helping bring down cholesterol.

How? Some cholesterol-lowering foods deliver a good dose of soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Others provide polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. And those with plant sterols and stanols keep the body from absorbing cholesterol. Here are 5 of those foods:

Oats. An easy way to start lowering cholesterol is to choose oatmeal or an oat-based cold cereal like Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for another half-gram.

Beans. Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. They also take a while for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. That’s one reason beans are a useful food for folks trying to lose weight. With so many choices from navy and kidney beans to lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, and beyond and so many ways to prepare them, beans are a very versatile food.

Read Also: How Much Cholesterol In A Low Cholesterol Diet

Good And Bad Cholesterol

As mentioned earlier, cholesterol travels through our bloodstream via proteins called lipoproteins. There are 2 types of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol throughout our body: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol .

LDL cholesterol carries cholesterol to the tissues of the body, and HDL returns excess cholesterol to the liver to be filtered and recycled or removed from the body.

Having too much LDL means that there is more cholesterol in the bloodstream than the body needs. This unused cholesterol can form deposits on the walls of our blood vessels and other areas of the body. High levels of LDL cholesterol increase a persons risk of cardiovascular diseases. This is why LDL is often referred to as the bad cholesterol.

On the flip side, having high levels of HDL cholesterol means that the body is better at removing LDL cholesterol from the blood. In essence, the good HDL cholesterol effectively cleans up any spare bad LDL cholesterol and returns it to the liver to be broken down.

Fried Foods And Highly Processed Foods

There is little to no room in a low cholesterol diet for fried foods, fast food, and highly processed foods. Everything in moderation is acceptable, but if youre trying to reduce LDL levels, eliminating foods high in cholesterol like deep-fried items, chips, deli meat, bacon, and hot dogs, can go a long way in keeping your cholesterol levels in check.

You May Like: What Causes High Hdl Cholesterol

What Not To Eat: Foods That Raise Cholesterol

Whether you have high cholesterol that needs to be lowered or you simply want to maintain an already-healthy cholesterol level, avoiding certain foods can help.

Any food that contains saturated fat is a no-no for a cholesterol-lowering diet. Trans fats are equally as bad, if not worse. Trans fats are a double whammy they raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol, Featherstun says.

Here are some specific types of food to avoid:

Anything fried Youd be hard-pressed to walk into a restaurant in the United States and not find a deep fryer. But if youre on a cholesterol-lowering diet, take a pass on the greasy stuff. Not only does deep frying cause foods to lose water and suck up fat, making them more calorie dense, but the oils that foods are fried in are often high in trans fats, the worst offenders.

If you cant bear the thought of never eating another crunchy onion ring, consider using olive or sunflower oil when frying. In a study published in January 2012 in The BMJ, researchers in Spain, where olive and sunflower oils are used for frying, found that eating fried foods was not associated with increased rates of heart disease like it is in countries where saturated fats, like lard and butter, are used. Just be sure not to heat these oils past their smoke point the temperature at which an oil starts to burn.