Another Cholesterol Check

Heart disease is a major killer in the United States so when I come across preventative information regarding food, I find it necessary to share it.  And just because you take a cholesterol medicine doesn't mean it's okay to eat cholesterol-laden foods.  You should still take precaution and eat those types of foods in moderation to keep your heart healthy and your loved ones happy.

If you suffer from high cholesterol, you should avoid foods from animal origin, especially these TOP 10:

 

"Shellfish such as oysters, mussels, crab, lobster, and clams contain large amounts of cholesterol, particularly in relation to their serving size.  For example, King crab legs contain 71 mg of cholesterol per serving, lobster contains 61 mg per serving, and oysters contain 58 mg per serving.

Cream cheese is delicious when it's spread on a bagel for breakfast, but just 1 oz of cream cheese contains a whopping 27 mg of cholesterol.  When the actual serving size that most people put on their bagel is totalled, it can add up to a very large percentage of the recommended daily allowance of cholesterol.


Caviar's high cost keeps many people from enjoying it on a regular basis, and this is probably a good thing considering it's also high in cholesterol and salt.  People with high cholesterol should strictly limit their intake of caviar, since 100 g of caviar contains 588 mg of cholesterol. That's 196 percent of the recommended daily allowance of cholesterol!


Though not an everyday food for most people in the United States, duck is still enjoyed by many people in some ethnic and upscale restaurants.  Duck is an oily meat with a distinctive taste that contains large amounts of protein, iron, and vitamin B. Unfortunately, it also contains large amounts of cholesterol. It's thought that a typical single serving of duck can contain 100 mg of cholesterol or more.

Cholesterol comes from animal products, and though it's hard to think of ice cream as an animal-based food, its dairy content puts it on the High Cholesterol List.  Just 3.5 oz of a typical brand of ice cream can contain as much as 45 mg of cholesterol, and flavored ice cream's cholesterol content is even higher. This same amount of French vanilla, for example, contains nearly 80 mg of cholesterol.

Just as most people who are watching their cholesterol know to eat oatmeal, they also know not to eat large quantities of egg or egg yolk.  And with good reason. The yolks of eggs have the most cholesterol of any food, with 1234 mg per 100 g serving. This translates to 411 percent of the USDA's recommended daily allowance for cholesterol.

A mainstay of baking, butter is in many of the foods people enjoy such as cakes, cookies, and other desserts.  But just 1 tablespoon of butter contains 30 g of cholesterol. That translates to 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance for cholesterol for a very small amount. When you stop and consider that some recipes--such as shortbread--call for 2-3 sticks of butter, the cholesterol totals can soar very quickly!

A typical fast food burger averages between 60 and 150 mg of cholesterol, while chicken nuggets contain between 30 and 50 mg.  Fast food breakfasts are the worst, however. A classic egg-based breakfast sandwich contains about 260 mg of cholesterol, though larger sizes can have as much as 465 mg. And breakfast burritos are even higher, averaging about 465 mg per serving.

Shrimp is a puzzling food for people watching their diet, since it is very low in fat but very high in cholesterol.  The key with eating shrimp appears to be moderation. Though 100 g of shrimp contains 65 percent of the recommended daily allowance of cholesterol, a single large shrimp contains only 3-4 percent.

Bacon is made from pork that's been cured in salty brine and then smoked. It has a distinctive flavor that many people enjoy, and this unique flavor leads to its inclusion in many recipes.  But just one piece of bacon contains about 9 mg of cholesterol and 5 mg of pure fat. Given the typical serving, bacon's best avoided by people who are watching their cholesterol.

So it's not only important to avoid foods like these but also ones that contain saturated and trans fats will have a beneficial effect on your HDL cholesterol. In particular, it is vitally important that your daily trans fat intake is zero.

SOME FOODS TO ENJOY:

Replace these unhealthy fats with monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and omega-3 fatty acids. Foods to add to your regular consumption include, olive oil, nuts, avocado, natural nut butter, tuna, salmon, sardines, and flaxseed.

Research suggests that polyphenol-rich, high-cocoa chocolate (70 percent cocoa or more) increases HDL cholesterol. In one study, participants ate 45 grams of chocolate per day, and researchers noted a significant increase in their HDL levels.

If you are adding dark chocolate to your diet, do remember that it is calorie-rich, so therefore you must compensate elsewhere, to avoid overeating. And, don't forget that the chocolate must be high-cocoa to be beneficial.

Alcohol also plays a role in increasing HDL levels. But, if you do not drink already, do not start, as there other risks associated with consuming alcohol on a regular basis. If you do drink alcohol, do not exceed more than 1-2 drinks per day.

A study, published in the American Journal of Cardiology, found that niacin increased HDL cholesterol by up to 30 percent. Food sources of niacin include mushrooms, nuts, legumes, chicken, beef, tuna, trout, mackerel, eggs, and sea vegetables. If you have low HDL levels you may benefit from taking 500 milligrams of niacin each day in supplement form, building up to 1,000 milligrams a day. Please check with your doctor first, though.

If you like fish, this would be my first choice. Fish contains DHA. Research is starting to indicate health benefits linked to DHA alone. Fish that have the highest content of omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, sardines, trout, herring, and tuna. Two favorites, tilapia and catfish, have less of this fatty acid.  Be mindful of the mercury content of some saltwater fish, including tuna, especially if you are pregnant."

A study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that when subjects were supplemented with vitamin D and calcium (600 mg calcium, and 200 IU vitamin D), HDL cholesterol increased, along with other beneficial changes to plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations.

You can get calcium from dairy foods, like milk and yogurt, but also from foods like leafy green vegetables, fish (with bones), fortified juices, legumes, dried figs and apricots.

Exposing your skin to sunlight for a short period of time, without sunscreen, is the best way to get your bodies vitamin D levels up to a healthy level. There are also some foods which contain vitamin D, including eggs, fortified milk, salmon, tuna, and fish oils.


Reference: Healthcentral.com