The six worst foods for your cholesterol

Like fried foods, most cooked meats are often high in fat, and Vickers suggests keeping bacon to a minimum. He says: “You need to limit how much food you eat. Eat it only occasionally, small and lightly fried. But if you already have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or are at risk of heart disease, you should consider avoiding it altogether.”

And what to eat carefully…

Who doesn’t enjoy a morning croissant? However, the problem, according to Jess Willow, a registered dietitian at Willow Nutrition, is that such grains tend to be high in fat. Trans fats are thought to be even worse than saturated fat for raising cholesterol levels with research showing they increase the risk of heart disease..

“We often find trans fats in cakes and baked goods, so cutting back on things like croissants and other pastries, cakes and biscuits is a good idea,” she says.

Other high-fat foods that can have a strong effect on cholesterol include red meat and butter. So experts suggest eating them in moderation.

Foods high in cholesterol that are actually good for you

There are many foods that are naturally high in cholesterol, but instead of avoiding them, they are actually good for us. This may sound counterintuitive, and as nutritionist Duane Mellor explains, it has once led to questionable nutritional advice.

However, we now know that it is not the cholesterol in the food that causes us problems, but the excess fructose, saturated and synthetic fats that our bodies then use to make LDL cholesterol ends up in our blood vessels.

Mellor says: “Cholesterol in eggs previously caused them to be discouraged by people at high risk of heart disease.” But it is a great source of protein and not so much fat, so cholesterol is not a problem.

Shellfish, unless dipped in batter and fried, are generally fat-free, and the cholesterol they contain is chemically different and has no effect on very little in our cholesterol levels.”

Research has found that although foods such as full-fat yogurt and milk contain cholesterol, they can reduce the risk of heart disease because they contain a variety of fats called odd chain fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid. supposedly protective. “Many studies suggest that people who eat low-flavored yogurts have a reduced risk of these diseases,” says Mellor.

How can you improve cholesterol levels with food?

Stephenson describes the quality of food in general and especially the intake of fiber as important to reduce and maintain healthy levels of cholesterol.

“A general diet low in fiber, frequent or excessive alcohol consumption, red and processed meat, and high sugar can be problematic if cholesterol is an issue,” he says.

Mellor recommends trying to include elements of the so-called Portfolio Diet, which was developed at the University of Toronto as a way to improve cholesterol levels. The four main recommendations of the Portfolio Diet are:

• Include: Plant chemicals known as phytoestrogens in soy may help lower cholesterol levels. Soy sources include tofu, tempeh or soy milk.
• Eat nuts and seeds daily: Mellor suggests adding them to salads, cereal, yogurt or eating them as a snack.
• Eating more fiber: Generally increasing the amount of fiber in your diet through a variety of vegetables and fruits as well as the sticky fiber found in oats, lentils, beans, okra and aubergine is good.
• Consume plant sterols and stanols: These are natural compounds that have the same chemical structure as cholesterol and are found in nuts, beans and peas as well as supplements and nutritional supplements. They reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines to ensure that more of it is excreted in your stool, rather than returning to the bloodstream.