Foods High in Cholesterol
About 80% of the cholesterol in our body is manufactured in our liver. The remaining is obtained through our diet. Only animal food contains cholesterol. Even then not all animal foods are high in cholesterol. Plants do not have a liver and hence cannot produce or contain cholesterol. Plant foods such as vegetables, fruits and nuts do not contain cholesterol.
The remaining cholesterol is made out of saturated fatty food that we eat such as eggs, red meat and coconut. It is also made from the breakdown of sugar. Therefore eating too much sugar and carbohydrate rich food can result in excess cholesterol.
We should not be unduly worried about the saturated food that we eat as long as it is consumed in moderation. Prominent heart researcher Ancel Keys Ph. D, professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota 1997 said that there is no connection whatsoever between the cholesterol in food and cholesterol in blood. Other studies such as the Framingham and Tecumseh long term studies also shows that people who ate the most cholesterol had roughly the same blood cholesterol level of those who ate the least.
The culprit is excessive carbohydrate intake and trans fats. Our modern lifestyle does not allow us to burn off most of the carbohydrates that we take. The rest is converted into fats. And eating trans fatty acids raises our bad cholesterol levels and lowers our good cholesterol. Unfortunately trans fats are present in most vegetable oils unless they are cold pressed or extra virgin and in most margarines.
Foods high in cholesterol include prawns, crabs, red meat and egg. For a list of food and their cholesterol content, please refer to this cholesterol chart.