Being under a healthy lifestyle, in which good nutrition and physical exercise prevail, will make us avoid having cardiovascular problems such as high cholesterol. There are certain foods that increase LDL cholesterol levels (popularly known as "bad"). If you are really concerned about your health and want to reduce the chances of suffering from a disease, we will tell you which are the foods that produce cholesterol to a greater extent.
What is cholesterol?
We are facing one of the most important lipids (fats) in our body. Its function, to a greater extent, is the formation of cell membranes and being the basis for the synthesis of sex and adrenal hormones. Likewise, it also helps in the creation of bile acids, which are necessary to facilitate the digestion of fatty foods.
Cholesterol, in normal situations, comes from the food we eat and that the liver produces. That cholesterol passes into the blood and is distributed in different organs and systems of the body. It is important that there is always an adequate level, since an excess in the blood causes it to be deposited on the walls of the arteries and gives rise to "atheroma plaques”. These plaques are created primarily by stored cholesterol, by macrophages, and by muscle cells. If the level remains high, the plaques increase in size and stiffen the blood vessels. When they rupture, thrombi are formed that can totally or partially clog the artery.
What types are there?
We have always heard that there are two types of cholesterol, although it is not entirely correct. Cholesterol is a unique substance that is carried in the blood by lipoproteins. exist two types of lipoproteins: those of low density (LDL) and those of high density (HDL). The former are responsible for transporting cholesterol to the tissues, and its excess is related to the development of arteriosclerosis. On the other hand, the high-density ones extract the cholesterol that is left over from the cells and from the atheromatous plaques. For this reason, the latter is popularly called the "good".
Foods that increase LDL cholesterol
It is recommended that before making any changes in your diet, you have a blood test so that a doctor can assess how your cholesterol levels are. He will be the one to determine if we have to worry about the data obtained. Even so, there are certain foods that we must restrict if we want to stay healthy.
Red meat and offal
Red meats (beef, beef, lamb) have a high percentage of saturated fat. Experts recommend not to abuse your intake, eliminate visible fat and choose lean cuts. In addition, the way it is cooked is important so that it does not add more fats (even if they are healthy). Its consumption in moderation (less than 200 grams a week) does not produce any type of damage, in fact they provide vitamins A, D, B12, copper and potassium. The problem is that in Spain we are around the intake of more than 1 kilo a week.
Something similar for the offal, the entrails, the butter and the sausages.
ultra-processed products
All ultra-processed products are full of sugars, saturated and trans fats, and chemicals. When there is a high level of blood sugar, the effect of LDL (bad) cholesterol is much more aggressive. Also, the problem with these foods is that they have an addictive flavor that makes us eat them compulsively, so the increase in cholesterol will be greater.
In this group, we refer to pastries, chocolates, cookies, chips, pre-cooked food, fried foods, etc.
Sausages and cold cuts
This type of food does not provide many benefits. They contain too much salt, high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol. The ideal is to avoid them so as not to increase the possibility of developing coronary diseases.
Cheese
Each cheese has a different composition, depending on the milk of origin and the type. Generally speaking, those that have a longer healing process and those that are spreadable (Gouda, Emmental, cured goat, Brie or Parmesan) are those that contain the most saturated fat and cholesterol.
On the other hand, sheep or goat cheeses hardly provide fat. Even so, there is research that ensures that eating this food, although it can increase cholesterol, is not as harmful to the heart as other foods. Experts recommend fresh sheep cheese.
Avoid falling into the trap of consuming certain products strategically designed to "cure" serious problems, such as Danacol.