Dangerous Foods That Raise Bad Cholesterol
Published by admin on April 7, 2020April 7, 2020
Be careful of the 10 Dangerous Foods that raise Bad Cholesterol.;The bad cholesterol known as LDL is the fat that remains in our arteries and generates problems in the normal circulation of the blood-producing heart attacks and strokes.
Learn why it is convenient to avoid beef, pork and lamb, Butter and Margarine and ice cream and find out how to substitute nutritionally and how to substitute good foods in the kitchen to reduce your bad cholesterol.
High Blood Cholesterol: Why Is It Bad For You
What is cholesterol anyway?
Cholesterol is a kind of fat that you eat as a normal part of the diet. You also produce your own cholesterol in your liver.
Cholesterol is essential in your body. It is used to produce steroid hormones , and it is important to make our body cells flexible.
So why does cholesterol get such a bad press?
High levels of cholesterol in the blood, also known as hypercholesterolemia, has been linked with all sorts of health problems, mostly due to blood vessel damage.
You may have heard about good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, but really there is only one kind of cholesterol . It is where the cholesterol is found that makes it good or bad, and how much of it there is.
You may also have heard of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, dietary cholesterol, endogenous cholesterol, and so on. What I thought I might do here is try to make some sense of cholesterol and why too much of it can be bad for you.
Bread Cereal Rice And Pasta
The main reason the USDA recommended grains as the base of your diet is the heavily-subsidized and very influential agriculture industry. In fact, before the food pyramid was published, nutrition experts suggested that fruits and vegetables should make up the base of the pyramid, as they are essential to ensuring dietary health.
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I have not found evidence that the human body needs grains. Our ancestors didnt have access to grains until they figured out how to cultivate crops in about 10,000 B.C. Instead, they got their carbohydrates from vegetables and seasonal fruit. The human body and our genes have changed and evolved over the past several thousand years, but not at the speed our food has. For example, some of us can now process dairy , while others are still lactose intolerant.
Many people in Asian cultures eat a lot of rice and still grow old. But its important to understand that almost every food we eat today is much different from its original form. The way we prepare food is different, and so is our diet and lifestyle. Our paleo ancestors had to hunt and gather their food, and they were thus physically active. Were mostly sedentary and can eat whenever were hungry.
Nevertheless, just because the human body may be better prepared to handle a certain type of food, that doesnt mean we should do so at the expense of eating food we know is good for us.
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Are Eggs Meat And Dairy Bad For High Cholesterol
True or false? Eggs, dairy, and meat are bad for you
If youve been diagnosed with high cholesterol, should you completely eliminate eggs, meat, and dairy from your diet? Not necessarily. Reducing the amount of unhealthy fats you consume is vital to lowering your high cholesterol.
But you dont have to completely rid your diet of eggs, meat, and dairy products to make it more cholesterol-friendly. You can incorporate these foods into your diet in a healthy way. The key to enjoying them all comes down to:
- how you prepare these foods
- how often you eat them
- how often you substitute healthier options
Is Cholesterol A Fatty Acid
Cholesterol is an unsaturated alcohol in the steroid family of compounds; it is essential for the proper functioning of all animal cells and is a central component of their cell membranes. Triglycerides are fatty acid esters of glycerol which are the primary lipid portion of animal food fats which fat deposits.
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Avoid The Trans Fats Limit The Saturated Fats And Replace With Essential Polyunsaturated Fats
Why are trans fats bad for you, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats good for you, and saturated fats somewhere in-between? For years, fat was a four-letter word. We were urged to banish it from our diets whenever possible. We switched to low-fat foods. But the shift didn’t make us healthier, probably because we cut back on healthy fats as well as harmful ones.
You may wonder isn’t fat bad for you, but your body needs some fat from food. It’s a major source of energy. It helps you absorb some vitamins and minerals. Fat is needed to build cell membranes, the vital exterior of each cell, and the sheaths surrounding nerves. It is essential for blood clotting, muscle movement, and inflammation. For long-term health, some fats are better than others. Good fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Bad ones include industrial-made trans fats. Saturated fats fall somewhere in the middle.
All fats have a similar chemical structure: a chain of carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms. What makes one fat different from another is the length and shape of the carbon chain and the number of hydrogen atoms connected to the carbon atoms. Seemingly slight differences in structure translate into crucial differences in form and function.
Tips For Adding More Healthy Fats To Your Diet
Instead of obsessively counting fat grams, aim for a diet rich in a variety of vegetables, fruit, nuts, and beans, with two or more weekly servings of fatty fish, moderate amounts of dairy, small amounts of red meat, and only occasional fried or processed meals.
This might mean replacing fried chicken with grilled chicken, swapping out some of the red meat you eat with other sources of protein such as fish, chicken, or beans, or using olive oil rather than butter. Following a Mediterranean diet can also help ensure youre getting enough good fats in your diet and limiting the bad ones.
Limit your intake of saturated fats;by replacing some of the red meat you eat with beans, nuts, poultry, and fish, and switching from whole milk dairy to lower fat versions. But dont make the mistake of replacing saturated fat with refined carbohydrates and sugary foods.
Eat omega-3 fats every day.;Include a variety of fish sources as well as plant sources such as walnuts, ground flax seeds, flaxseed oil, canola oil, and soybean oil.
Cook with olive oil. Use olive oil for stovetop cooking rather than butter, stick margarine, or lard. For baking, try canola oil.
Eat more avocados.;Try them in sandwiches or salads or make guacamole. Along with being loaded with heart- and brain-healthy fats, they make for a filling meal.
Reach for the nuts.;You can add nuts to vegetable dishes, use them instead of breadcrumbs on chicken or fish, or make your own trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.
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What Are Saturated Fats
Saturated fats are generally solid or waxy at room temperature and are most often found in animal products and tropical oils. The following foods contain saturated fats:
- Fatty cuts of beef, pork, lamb, veal, and the skin of poultry.
- Hot dogs, bacon and high-fat luncheon meats, such as salami and bologna.
- Full fat and processed cheeses, cream cheese.
- High-fat dairy products, such as whole milk, cream, half and half, butter and sour cream.
- Lard, bacon fat, sauces and gravies made from animal fat.
- Most fried foods and fast foods.
- Tropical oils – palm, palm kernel and coconut.
- Baked goods made with lard, butter or tropical oils.
Other Fats Raise Blood Cholesterol
You will probably be aware of the differences between saturated and unsaturated fats. Actually lipids is the more correct term. Lipids that are solid at room temperature are usually called fats, and lipids that are liquid at room temperature are called oils.
Saturated lipids come from animals, are solid at room temperature and increase the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver. Unsaturated lipids come from plants and reduce the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver.
So its not just cholesterol in your diet that can increase your blood cholesterol levels. Reducing the amount of animal fat that you eat will also help to reduce the amount of cholesterol produced by your liver, and will help to reduce the bad cholesterol in your bloodstream.
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What Is The Bad Type Of Cholesterol
Cholesterol travels through the blood to proteins called lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol throughout the body: LDL , sometimes called bad cholesterol, which makes up most of your bodys cholesterol.
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Myth: I Would Be Able To Feel It If I Had High Cholesterol
Fact:;High cholesterol usually has no signs or symptoms. You may not know you have unhealthy cholesterol levels until it is too latewhen you have a heart attack or stroke. Thats why its so important to get your cholesterol levels checked at least every 5 years.1,2 Learn more about getting your cholesterol checked.
Occasionally, some people develop yellowish growths on their skin called;xanthomas, which are cholesterol-rich deposits. People with xanthomas may have high cholesterol levels.
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Stay Away From Processed Food
When deciding what to put on your plate, choose simple foods that were available long before the food industry became involved. Namely, vegetables, seeds, seafood, meat and poultry. Animal fat and seasonal fruit were the main food sources of our ancestors for millions of years. Thats all that humans required to evolve into what we are today .
Ask yourself this question: Why have cases of cardiovascular disease and diabetes skyrocketed in western societies at the same time as our diet has shifted from a high-fat/low-carb diet to low-fat/high-carb?
Obesity is common, serious and costly
The Myth Saturated Fat Causes Heart Disease
I would say its more of a myth since the idea that saturated fat causes high cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease is very old. Recent studies have shown that saturated fat doesnt increase the chance of heart disease. Any type of fat that you consume will increase your cholesterol, however, depending on what you eat it could raise HDL or LDL cholesterol, says Dr. Djordjevic.
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How Saturated Fats Affect Your Health
Saturated fats are bad for your health in several ways:
Heart disease risk. Your body needs healthy fats for energy and other functions. But too much saturated fat can cause cholesterol to build up in your arteries . Saturated fats raise your LDL cholesterol. High LDL cholesterol increases your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Weight gain. Many high-fat foods such as pizza, baked goods, and fried foods have a lot of saturated fat. Eating too much fat can add extra calories to your diet and cause you to gain weight. All fats contain 9 calories per gram of fat. This is more than twice the amount found in carbohydrates and protein.
Cutting out high-fat foods can help keep your weight in check and keep your heart healthy. Staying at a healthy weight can reduce your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems.
Symptoms Of High Cholesterol
High cholesterol doesnât have symptoms. So you can be unaware that your levels are getting too high. Thatâs why itâs important to find out what your cholesterol numbers are. If they’re too high, lowering them will lessen your risk for getting heart disease. And if you already have heart disease, lowering cholesterol can reduce your odds of a heart attack or of dying from heart disease.
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White Bread Rice And Pasta
When you eat simple carbohydrates that are stripped of fiber your body breaks them down just like sugar, and both inflammation and LDL cholesterol rise as a result. Overeating refined carbs such as white rice, white-flour pasta, and white bread can have the same effect on your body as drinking soda, says registered dietitian Amy Shapiro, who is based in New York.
Opt For Skinless Chicken
Although chicken is usually considered to be a good low-fat meat choice, how you cook it and serve it makes all the difference. For example, one chicken leg with the skin still on has more fat and saturated fat than a hamburger. Remember that removing the skin will help reduce the overall fat content, King says. Indulge in a fried chicken leg once in a while and stick to the grilled or baked chicken.
If you leave the skin on poultry or bread and deep-fry it, you turn it into an unhealthy, cholesterol-spiking food. Also, remember that dark poultry meat has more fat than white meat. When making chicken choices, opt for skinless and skip the dark meat.
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The Relationship Between Fat And Cholesterol
How are fats related to blood cholesterol? Research shows that the amount and type of dietary fat consumed can affect blood cholesterol levels. Dietary fat, especially saturated and trans fats, may raise blood levels of total and LDL cholesterol. Replacing some saturated fats with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats can help lower blood cholesterol. Recall that high total blood cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels increase risk of heart disease, while lower levels reduce risk. Higher levels of HDL cholesterol help lower the risk for heart disease.
What foods contain fat and cholesterol? In some foods, fats are obvious, like noticeably greasy, fried or oily foods, or meats with visible marbling. In other foods, such as dairy, eggs, and some meats, fat and cholesterol is harder to see. Fats are found in both plant and animal foods, but cholesterol is only found in foods of animal origin. A food can be high in fat and cholesterol , high in fat but low in cholesterol , low in fat and high in cholesterol , or low in both . The nutrition facts label is a useful tool to determine the amount of fat or cholesterol in a particular food item.
Limiting Saturated And Trans Fats
Here are some ways to lower your intake of saturated and trans fats:
- Maintain a diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts. Also limit red meat and sugar-sweetened foods and beverages.
- Opt for naturally occurring unhydrogenated vegetable oils such as canola, safflower, sunflower or olive oil.
- Look for processed foods made with unhydrogenated oil rather than saturated fat or hydrogenated vegetable oils.
- Use soft margarine as a substitute for butter and choose soft margarines over harder stick forms. Look for 0 g trans fat on the Nutrition Facts label.
- Doughnuts, cookies, crackers, muffins, pies and cakes are examples of foods high in trans fat. Dont eat them often.
- Limit commercially fried foods and baked goods made with shortening or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. These foods are very high in fat, and its likely to be trans fat.
- Limit fried fast food. Commercial shortening and deep-frying fats are still made by hydrogenation and contain saturated and trans fats.
Consider using a food diary to keep track of what you eat. Its a handy way to evaluate the healthy, not-so-healthy and unhealthy foods youre making a part of your everyday diet.
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How Much You Can Eat
Most foods have a combination of different fats. You are better off choosing foods higher in healthier fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats tend to be liquid at room temperature.
How much should you get every day? Here are recommendations from the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans:
- You should get no more than 25% to 30% of your daily calories from fats.
- You should limit saturated fat to less than 10% of your daily calories.
- To further reduce your heart disease risk, limit saturated fats to less than 7% of your total daily calories.
- For a 2,000 calorie diet, that is 140 to 200 calories or 16 to 22 grams of saturated fats a day. As an example, just 1 slice of cooked bacon contains nearly 9 g of saturated fat.
- If you have heart disease or high cholesterol, your health care provider may ask you to limit saturated fat even more.
Do You Have High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is a natural and essential part of all cells in your body. It helps produce hormones, make vitamin D, provide cells with structure, and plays a role in the process of digesting fats. The liver creates all of the cholesterol that your body needs, so it is not required that you get it from foods. Foods that come from animals such as meat, cheese, and eggs all provide dietary cholesterol to the body.
There are two types of cholesterol: high-density lipoproteins and low-density lipoproteins . HDL is thought of as the good type of cholesterol because it carries cholesterol from your blood to your liver to be removed. This is helpful to the heart. LDL is the bad type of cholesterol: It causes a buildup of cholesterol in the blood, which leads to furring up of the arteries. This is called atherosclerosis and is a direct cause of heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral artery disease.
Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood. They are separate to and different from cholesterol, but they are nearly always included in the cholesterol lab panel since they have a similar effect on your heart and overall health. Triglycerides come from eating too many calories .;These extra calories are stored in the blood as triglycerides. High triglyceride levels can lead to heart disease and problems in your pancreas and liver, including fatty liver disease.
Here are the normal ranges for cholesterol and triglyceride levels in adults :
| Lab |
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