High cholesterol is a common problem throughout the United States. Two in five U.S. adults have the disease, which puts them at increased risk for stroke and heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that circulates in the blood. It’s not necessarily dangerous in itself – we need cholesterol to help us build cells and make hormones. But too much can cause problems. For example, excess cholesterol in the blood is a major contributor to atherosclerosis, which is the “buildup of trash within the blood vessels.”

Your cholesterol is measured with a blood test (called a lipid panel), which is ordered by your doctor. If your cholesterol is high, you may be treated with medication or lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise.

One of the most natural changes starts with food. Experts say certain foods can affect your cholesterol levels, putting you at risk for the adverse events listed above. Below, experts share the foods to avoid if you have high cholesterol：

1.Full-fat dairy

Full-fat dairy products are high in saturated fat, which is bad for LDL, often called “bad” cholesterol. Saturated fat actually reduces your body’s ability to clear bad cholesterol.

Your bad cholesterol goes to your liver to be cleaned up, and that’s how you get some of it out of your body. Saturated fat affects your liver because it prevents you from breaking down too much bad cholesterol.

Dairy does have some health benefits, so you can reduce this particular problem by incorporating low-fat dairy into your diet when possible.

Choose fat-free dairy products like yogurt and kefir to reduce your saturated fat intake while still getting essential heart-healthy nutrients like magnesium, calcium and vitamin D.

You can add healthy unsaturated fats to nonfat dairy products by adding almonds or chia seeds to nonfat yogurt or cottage cheese. This provides you with healthy fats and dairy protein.

2.Red meat

You probably know that red meat—such as beef, pork, or lamb—is not suitable for people with high cholesterol. Why? Red meat is high in saturated fat, which, as mentioned above, can make it difficult for your body to break down cholesterol.

This doesn’t mean you should never eat red meat, but people with high cholesterol should carefully consider their intake.

In general, you should use meat more as a garnish to your meals, then eat legumes as another way to get protein, and high-protein grains like quinoa or lentils as a way of supplementing the protein and the iron and the fiber in your meal.

3.Skin on meat

Meat rinds are also high in saturated fat. This applies to the skin of all meats, whether it’s chicken skin, turkey skin, pork skin, or something else.

Choose lean protein sources such as skinless poultry, fish, legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas) and tofu. These protein sources are low in saturated fat and help maintain muscle mass while promoting heart health.

What’s more, it’s also important to look for skinless ground meat.

4.Highly processed foods

Increasingly, we are learning that staying away from processed foods may be the best approach.

While many foods undergo some form of processing, minimally processed foods like packaged salads and bagged dried beans are not the culprit. Conversely, highly processed foods like smoked sausage and chips should give you pause.

They’re also often high in unhealthy fats and salt and low in fiber, vitamins and minerals, a harmful combination from a cardiovascular health perspective.

If you crave that meaty feel, be sure to opt for steak.But something that’s been so processed, like sausage, really no longer has the nutritional balance that’s present in the original meat, and that’s probably something you should stay away from.

For these reasons, all major [cardiovascular] societies recommend against eating a diet rich in ultra-processed foods and instead recommend a ‘whole foods’ approach.

5.Fried foods

Likewise, if you have high cholesterol levels, it’s best to avoid fried foods. Fried foods may also contain trans fats, which can increase bad cholesterol levels and increase your overall risk of heart disease.

This includes sweet and non-sweet fried foods such as fried chicken, donuts and French fries. To determine if the food you’re eating contains trans fat, look for partially hydrogenated oils listed on the ingredients label.