You're not alone if you have high cholesterol. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 94 million Americans have high total cholesterol. Nearly half of those who have it aren't taking medicine to manage it.
While several factors can increase your risk of developing high cholesterol, including your age, weight, alcohol and tobacco use, certain chronic health conditions, and even some medications, there is one easily modifiable variable you can control to help keep your cholesterol levels in check: your diet.
In the opinion of specialists, which food is the worst for high cholesterol?
If you have high cholesterol or want to prevent getting it, there's one food you should cut out—or at the absolute least, minimize your consumption of—right now: red meat.
According to Jinan Banna, Ph.D., RD, a registered dietitian and associate professor of nutrition at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, "red meat is particularly detrimental for blood cholesterol." "It includes saturated fat and cholesterol, both of which, when ingested in large quantities, can raise blood cholesterol levels. This raises the risk of cardiovascular illness as well "Banna asserts.
High cholesterol is caused by eating foods high in saturated fats, which lead your body to generate LDL or "bad" cholesterol in your blood. Saturated fats can be found in various foods, including plant-based diets, but primarily in animal products.
If you limit your intake of fatty meats, your cholesterol levels may improve. According to a study of data published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2020, limiting saturated fat in your diet will help lower cholesterol while also lowering the risk of combined cardiovascular events by 17%.
Studies on the relationship between red meat and cholesterol have also been conducted. According to a 2019 study published in the journal Food & Function, people who cut their red meat consumption in half experienced significant reductions in their cholesterol levels. At the start of the trial, those with the highest cholesterol levels saw the most improvement.
According to new research, white meat may be just as dangerous for your cholesterol levels as red meat if the saturated fat levels are equal. Participants on a high-fat, high-saturated-fat meat diet had significantly higher LDL cholesterol levels after four weeks than those on a low-fat, low-animal-based saturated fat diet.
What practices can help lower cholesterol?
While speaking with a healthcare expert for advice on managing your disease is the best way to begin safely lowering your cholesterol levels, evidence suggests that specific easy lifestyle changes can assist.
To begin, you'll want to cut back on red meat consumption. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to less than 6% of total daily calories, or roughly 11 to 13 grams of saturated fat if you have high cholesterol.
To lower cholesterol, you can cut out on red meat and saturated fats and incorporate moderate exercise into your daily routine. Walking and running were both beneficial at lowering cholesterol levels in people with high cholesterol levels, according to a 2013 study published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.