Cholesterol in Food

high cholestrol food

Cholesterol is required by the body to synthesize hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help digest foods. Our body makes all the cholesterol it needs. However, cholesterol is also found in some of the foods we eat.

Although many studies suggest that there is no direct relationship between dietary cholesterol intake and blood cholesterol levels, it is important to be aware of foods that contain the same.

Please note that none of plant sources of foods naturally contain cholesterol, it is present only in animal foods. However, processing of certain plant based foods may result in the synthesis of cholesterol in it.

FOOD GROUP	Zero/ low cholesterol	High Cholesterol
Cereals & breads	Whole-grain bread, bagels, baked corn or flour tortilla Crackers-low-fat Cereals-Oat, Wheat, Corn, multigrain, Pasta, Rice, dried beans and peas	Bread in which eggs, fat, and/or butter are a major ingredient; croissants, High-fat crackers, Commercial baked pastries, muffins, biscuits
Meat, poultry & fish	Processed meat prepared from lean Meat e.g. lean ham, lean frankfurters, lean meat with soy protein Fishes like Mackerel, Salmon, Sardines, Swordfish, Tuna, Bluefish, Haddock, Herring, Cod	Poultry with skin, fried chicken, Organ meat, Lard, Duck, Pork, Turkey, Veal, Lamb. Meat drippings and gravy Fried fish, Fried Shellfish Fishes like Clam, Oyster, Shrimp, Caviar, Squid, Lobster, crabs, Regular luncheon meat e.g. Bologna, Salami, sausage, frankfurters
Eggs	Egg whites	Egg yolks
Fats & oils	Unsaturated oils-safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, cotton seed, Canola, Olive, peanut	Coconut oil, Palm kernel oil, palm oil, cheese, sour cream, whole milk, Coconut, milk chocolate
Sweets & desserts	Sweets-sugar, syrup, honey, jam, candy made without fat, fruit-flavoured gelatin	Ice cream and frozen treats made with ice cream. Commercial baked pies, cakes, doughnuts, high-fat cookies, cream pies

Excess of cholesterol may have detrimental effects on heart. It can lead to hypertension, cardiovascular diseases etc. which might even lead to heart attack/ stroke which can be fatal.

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