Foods High in Cholesterol

What are some foods high in cholesterol which could raise your levels?

The United States are a fast food, high cholesterol nation, with 60% of the country's diet made up of a few basic food choices: hamburgers, cheeses and whole milk. It makes one wonder if anyone is concerned with their health.

While it is true that cutting down on these particular foods would go a long way toward helping a person cut down on saturated fat, and as a result the onslaught of high blood cholesterol levels, the issue must ultimately go deeper.

Many people immediately put up their defenses when issues regarding foods high in cholesterol are raised, saying it involves giving up 'all the foods they love'. They have visions of vegetarianism and such - no meat, no cheese, no ice cream; and then there is that green leafy stuff that has to be dealt with. Let's face it, if it tastes good, it more than likely comes from the wrong food group!

High cholesterol does mainly come from high concentrations of animal protein elements in the system. Cholesterol is found in all animal and / or animal products - all meats, egg yolks, fish, most nuts, seeds and dairy products.

This means that eating too many foods with saturated fats is the main reason for high levels of LDL (harmful) cholesterol being produced in the liver rather than the HDL (beneficial cholesterol), resulting in the country's high rate of heart attacks, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis (plaque build-up in arteries) and diabetes.

When considering foods high in cholesterol, aside from the fat content of the meat itself, there needs to be an awareness of the products made containing animal and / or dairy, as well as processed or packaged foods. Foods such as muffins, pastries, and cookies come to mind quickly; but what of boxed foods like macaroni and cheese, cake mixes, boxed helper foods, many cereals, frozen dinners, pizzas, pre-made pancakes and waffles, etc. Many of these are foods high in cholesterol, too.

Not all types of fat are bad; however, saturated, mono-saturated and trans fats are mostly unhealthy and they are being used in staples such as breads and cereals, adding to the list of potential health robbers and killers. The foods high in cholesterol are those that contain animal products, and if they contain animal products, they contain cholesterol or contribute to our bodies making too much of the unwanted type. So when even those foods that sport 'cholesterol free' tags contain saturated fats - which the liver will convert to LDL cholesterol once it is digested - they can be culprits as well.

People believe that because they love foods such as cheese, butter and ice cream, that they will never be able to eat them again in order to cut their cholesterol. The fact is, it is only necessary to watch the amounts of the foods eaten that are harmful to us. What we should be paying attention to are foods high in saturated fats and / or triglycerides, as these make up roughly 90% of the fats that are eaten. Also, consider lifestyle factors such as exercise, smoking or alcohol consumption.

Beware of foods that are breaded and / or fried (especially deep-fried), dishes prepared 'from scratch' if the ingredients call for mono-saturates, butter, margarine or flour products that contain them, deli meats, fish sticks, hash brown patties, and other such products. They may be packaged in bright pretty colors, but they are not gifts; many are foods high in cholesterol, too.

To learn more about how to reduce high cholesterol, including other information on foods high in cholesterol, read the other related cholesterol articles and pages.

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