Cholesterol is a fat produced by the liver in the body and is necessary for the production of hormones, vitamin D, and substances necessary for digesting fatty food.
Two types of cholesterol are found in the body:
- LDL cholesterol– It is often called bad cholesterol as it gets deposited in the blood vessels of the body.
- HDL cholesterol– It is often called good cholesterol and it functions as a garbage truck and collects all the extra bad cholesterol from the arteries and brings it back to the liver for disposal.
The following are the top ten food that contains high cholesterol
- Egg yolk: According to reports, egg yolks contain a high percentage of cholesterol. A single egg yolk will contain 210mg of cholesterol, while a whole egg provides slightly more, 212mg of cholesterol. Thus all the cholesterol in eggs is present in the egg yolks. One requires cholesterol for certain functions so you can consume eggs in moderation.
- Liver: Cholesterol is produced by the liver, so, dishes containing the liver from any meat will contain 564mg of cholesterol per 100 grams or 188% of the daily value. As per American Heart Association, no more than 300 mg of cholesterol is recommended for a healthy adult.
- Butter: We consume butter in larger amounts. We have them with bread, it is present in cakes, etc. 100 grams of butter contains 215mg (72% daily value) of cholesterol and one tablespoon of butter contains 30mg (10% daily value).
- Shrimp: A few seafood have very good health benefits but there are few that contain cholesterol. If you wish to have seafood go for boiled ones than fried ones.
- Chicken: Although chicken is a low-fat meat option, the way it is cooked makes a major difference. One chicken leg with the skin has more fat and cholesterol than a cup of ice cream or a burger. The chicken skin contains a lot of cholesterol.
- Fast foods: Fast foods are loaded with cholesterol. Tran’s fats present in fast foods are unhealthiest of all and contain a high percentage of cholesterol.
- Cheese: According to the literature available, cheese is a vegetarian source of protein and also a rich source of calcium. Most people love cheese as it’s tasty Cheese contains high cholesterol with 123mg (41% daily value) per 100-gram serving; which comes to 21mg (7% daily value) per one-inch cube.
- Processed meats: The available literature suggests that the amount of cholesterol in any processed meat depends on the cut used, and the amount of fat added during processing. The Lamb and duck meat contain the most cholesterol.
- Cheeseburger: A big cheeseburger contains approximately 175 mg of cholesterol.
- Ice cream: According to reports a single cup of ice cream has more fat than a hamburger and more cholesterol than 10 doughnuts. Instead one can eat a cup of fresh fruit as dessert.
Fruit is low in calories and high in fiber, vitamins, and nutrients; making it a healthier choice to reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.