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Cholesterol is a fatty substance that needs to be taken out of the body. That occurs primarily through the gallbladder, which stores it for eventual disposal. The liver and kidneys help control and regulate the level of cholesterol in the blood.
On the one hand, the liver allows cells to make cholesterol, but can also synthesize bile acids for digestion and absorption of dietary fat, using cholesterol. it is also responsible for the breakdown of fats in food into components that can be absorbed, used by the body, or stored.
On the other hand, The kidneys affect how much cholesterol reaches the liver through two main mechanisms: they control the amount of cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream and help regulate levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Some primary sources of cholesterol include animal products including liver, egg yolks, meat, and dairy products. In particular red meat has been linked to high amounts of cholesterol.
If you have a lot of LDL in your blood, you have a greater chance of developing cardiovascular disease or clots in the body that can lead to heart attacks or strokes. You need to limit your cholesterol intake to keep LDL down. By limiting the amount of high-cholesterol foods, you can also lower your risk of heart disease.
Here are some high cholesterol foods to avoid
1. Full-fat dairy products
Dairy products are a natural source of cholesterol. Milk, cheese, and other dairy items contain a variety of high-cholesterol foods, which can cause an increase in both your LDL and HDL levels. The more dairy you eat the higher the likelihood you have of developing heart disease. Please note that fat-free dairy is also not good as it has been linked to high-serum insulin and insulin resistance.
2. Fried foods
‘Fried foods’ are commonly referred to as foods prepared by deep-frying, which uses high amounts of oil. Deep-fried food products like fried chicken or french fries can lead to an increase in bad cholesterol levels and further build up plaque inside the arteries causing them to narrow resulting in a heart attack or stroke.
3. Hot Dogs, Sausages, Corned Beef, Lunch Meat
Hot dogs are packed with high amounts of processed meat that increase cholesterol levels resulting in dangerous blood clots that can cause heart disease or stroke. Sausages contain large amounts of cholesterol and salt to preserve them so they have a long shelf life for commercial sale.
Corn beef is heavily processed using nitrates which are converted to nitrosamines in the body, which is carcinogenic.
Lunchmeat is also processed using high amounts of sodium and additives resulting in an increase in blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
4. Biscuits, White Breads, Cakes, Cookies
Biscuits, cakes, and cookies, etc are packed full of refined carbohydrates that are broken down into sugars which are then stored as fats. These high-cholesterol foods can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Most commercially baked cakes and desserts contain white flour that can lead to tooth decay as well as weight gain if eaten in excess. These high-cholesterol foods can also cause obesity resulting in cardiovascular disease.
5. Processed Meats
Processed meats contain large amounts of additives, sodium, and bad saturated fats in high concentrations resulting in heart disease or stroke when consumed regularly. These include sausages, salami, canned meats, bacon, and processed deli meats.
6. Fried Snacks
Fried snacks are known to be highly dangerous as they contain trans-fats which have been shown to cause cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. They also increase LDL cholesterol levels and lower HDL cholesterol levels in the body resulting in cardiovascular disease.
7. Refined Grains
Refined grains are high in refined carbohydrates that can be broken down into sugars and stored as fats in the body causing weight gain. This includes rice, white bread, pastries, pasta, etc.
8. Butter and Margarine
Butter is known to contain saturated fats which increase LDL cholesterol levels resulting in cardiovascular disease when consumed regularly. Margarine also contains trans-fats, which have been linked to cardiovascular disease and cancer.
9. Sugar-Sweetened Drinks
Sugar-sweetened drinks like cola, lemonade, etc contain large amounts of refined carbohydrates and sugars that break down into fat deposits in the body resulting in obesity.
These high-cholesterol foods can also lead to coronary heart disease. so you better avoid these high cholesterol foods to avoid getting heart disease or suffering a stroke.