Avoiding certain foods may help a person manage their cholesterol levels. These include red meats, organ meats, and foods high in saturated and trans fats.
The liver naturally creates cholesterol, which travels throughout the body using proteins in the bloodstream. Cholesterol is an essential building block for cell membranes.
Alongside its cell building role, cholesterol is necessary for producing hormones, vitamin D, and substances that work to digest fatty foods.
However, a person's lifestyle and genetics can cause the body to produce too much cholesterol. When cholesterol builds up in the arteries, it can block blood flow, which can lead to coronary heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.
Following a nutritious, balanced diet is one way to help moderate cholesterol levels.
This article details the relationship between cholesterol and fats, looks at which foods have a high cholesterol content, and explores some dietary changes a person can make to lower their cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol and fats
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There are two types of cholesterol that differ depending on the type of protein that transports them through the bloodstream. They are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
LDLs deposit one type of cholesterol throughout the body. This kind of cholesterol can build upTrusted Source in blood vessels and lead to serious complications. People often refer to this as "bad" cholesterol.
HDLs, on the other hand, collect LDL cholesterol from the arteries and bring it back to the liver for disposal. For this reason, people often refer to HDL cholesterol as "good" cholesterol.
Learn more about the differences between LDL and HDL cholesterol here.
It is worth noting that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015–2020 removed the recommendation to limit dietary cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams per day. The most recent understanding is that the cholesterol content of different foods has little to no impactTrusted Source on blood cholesterol levels.
Although avoiding foods with high cholesterol content may still be beneficial for some people, it may not be practical for everyone.
Instead, the American Heart Association (AHA)Trusted Source and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source suggest prioritizing unsaturated fats over saturated and trans fats as the most effective dietary approach to cutting blood cholesterol.
Types of fat
In general, people should aim to eat a diet that promotes low levels of LDL cholesterol and high levels of HDL cholesterol. However, fat intake affects this balanceTrusted Source because fatty acids bind to liver cells and regulate the production of cholesterol.
People should pay attention not only to the overall quantity of fat in their diet but also to where this fat is coming from.
Saturated fats: These mostly occurTrusted Source in meat and dairy products. They instruct the liver to produce more LDL cholesterol.
Unsaturated fats: These are more common in fish, plants, nuts, seeds, beans, and vegetable oils. Certain unsaturated fats can help increase the rate at which the liver reabsorbs and breaks down LDL cholesterol.
Trans fats: These are solid vegetable oils. Manufacturers normally use an artificial process called hydrogenation to produce them. Fried foods, baked goods, and packaged foods often contain trans fats.
Learn more about the different types of fats here.
Trans fats
Trans fats increase levelsTrusted Source of LDL cholesterol and decrease levels of HDL cholesterol. For this reason, a high trans fat intake is also a risk factor for a range of health complications.
A 2015 literature review found that a 2% increaseTrusted Source in energy intake from trans fats is associated with a 25% increased risk of coronary heart disease and a 31% increased risk of death from the condition.
Researchers have also found links between increased trans fat intakes and increased all-cause mortality in the United States and China.
Bans on trans fat content in foods have proven positive. A 2017 study revealed a 6.2%Trusted Source reduction in hospital admissions for heart attack and stroke in the New York counties with a ban on trans fats.