We, humans, are social beings. Like every other living creature, we need food to survive. We need it to complete our needs, give strength to our bodies, and prevent disease.
Besides this, most of us love to eat. Eating is a passion for many people. We usually call these people foodies.
What’s more, there are a few types of food in our food chain. It is called high cholesterol food, which is not healthy for us at all.
Many times we eat high cholesterol foods without even knowing it. So, today we will talk about the Top 10 High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy material found in our bodies and foods like eggs, meat, and dairy. It participates in the production of vitamin D, hormones. It plays a small role in digesting fats.
Cholesterol is an essential ingredient for our cells. It gives them flexibility and strength.
However, cholesterol doesn’t mix with liquids(blood) at all. It’s transported by low-density and high-density lipoprotein or LDL and HDL.
As it doesn’t mix with liquids, having too much cholesterol is harmful to our bodies.
Top 10 High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid
1. Cheese
Cheese is also known as a high cholesterol food. 1-ounce (28 grams) cheese provides our body with 27 mg of cholesterol. However, a full-fat cheese doesn’t negatively impact cholesterol levels.
It’s okay to eat 2-ounce cheese per day because cheese offers a good amount of protein, calcium, and vitamin A, good cholesterol food.
2. Shellfish
Shellfish include crab, clams, and shrimp. These are excellent sources of iron, protein, vitamin B, and selenium. They are high in cholesterol. 85 grams of shrimp provides us 166 mg of cholesterol.
However, shellfish contains carotenoid antioxidants and amino acids. It helps to keep our hearts healthy and prevent disease. On the other hand, shellfish increases cholesterol in our bodies, which is very harmful.
3. Organ Meats
Organ meats are cholesterol-rich foods. Such as the kidney, heart, and liver. These are highly nutritious. Is chicken high in cholesterol? Chicken heart provides CoQ10, vitamin B12, antioxidants, zinc, and iron.
56 grams of organ meat offers 105 mg of cholesterol. That’s why it’s called cholesterol-rich food. Research has proven that organ meat lowers the risk of heart diseases.
4. Muffins
Muffins are good for breakfast. But it depends on how the muffins are made. According to the doctors, Eating a low-fat muffin made with flour can benefit your health.
But if the muffin is made with milk, eggs, and extra treats like chocolate chips. Then it will no longer be healthy. Now, it’s filled with high cholesterol, which is bad for health.
5. Margarine
There was a time when margarine was thought to be a healthy alternative for butter. But nowadays, it is being made from insulated vegetable oils. Many people assumed it would be better than butter.
Because butter is made of unhealthy ingredients, but they were wrong. Research shows, some types of margarine are worse for the heart than butter because margarine contains a large number of fats.
6. Microwave Popcorn
Popcorn is a very popular snack. It can either be good or bad for your health. It depends on how you prepare it. If you prepare it in a microwave, then it’s not healthy. Because they contain oil, butter, and salt, these extra ingredients can increase your cholesterol levels.
On the other hand, unsalted, butter-free popcorn is a good choice for your health. It lowers your cholesterol levels.
7. Hamburgers
Another popular snack is hamburgers. We can not think about summertime without a burger. The beef burger can be loaded with anything and everything. But cheese, onions, and bacon are a must.
Whenever you’re hungry and need a quick snack, a burger is an easy solution for you. A classic burger has 85 mg of cholesterol. And if we are talking about a double burger, then 170 mg of cholesterol.
8. Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is a deep-fried, golden, crunchy, and very popular dish. Chicken is an item that everyone looks for on the menu. There are many famous and healthy dishes of chicken. But fried chicken is not one of them.
To make this item, chicken has to be deep-fried for quite a long time. By doing it, the thing became oily and unhealthy. Moreover, it contains more cholesterol than a hamburger.
9. French Fries
Another favorite American snack. They are not high cholesterol food. But they contain hydrogenated oils and salts, which makes them high cholesterol food.
Foods that are made with hydrogenated oils contain large amounts of fats. It increases the cholesterol levels in our body.
So, we should try not to eat them. French Fries are not suitable for our hearts. It causes many heart problems.
10. Eggs
The egg is a common food in our daily food list. It is one of the most nutritious foods. Many people ask, are eggs high in cholesterol?
The answer is yes. One egg gives 211 mg of cholesterol to our body. As a result, we should not eat it too much.
Many people avoid eggs for fear of high cholesterol. But research shows that eggs increase heart-protective HDI. It’s also an excellent source of protein, vitamin A.
Conclusion
Our liver naturally creates cholesterol. It travels in the body using protein. Cholesterol plays a vital role in building blocks for our cells. But a person’s food habit can cause the body to produce much more cholesterol than we need.
As a result, it builds up in arteries and blocks blood flow in our body, leading to heart diseases, heart attacks, and even stock.
We can prevent them by maintaining our food habits. In the list above, we have talked about the Top 10 High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid. By avoiding these foods, we can keep our bodies and heart-healthy.
You May Also Like:
1. Top 10 Sugary Foods That You Should Know About
2. Top 10 Best Takeout Foods All Over the World
3. Top 10 Antioxidant Foods You Should Stock Up On
4. Top 10 Worst Foods for Cholesterol You Should Avoid Today
5. Top 10 Sweetest Foods in The World That Actually Teste Better