Can You Eat Feta Cheese With High Cholesterol

Can you eat feta cheese with high cholesterol

In this brief guide, we will address the query, “can you eat feta cheese with high cholesterol?” We will also discuss what high cholesterol is about, how it can affect our health, and what you can eat if you have this condition.

Can you eat feta cheese with high cholesterol?

Yes, you can eat feta cheese with high cholesterol. Although, it should not be consumed in high amounts, because feta cheese is classified as one of the cheeses that exhibit higher amounts of cholesterol.

Of course, eating a small amount of feta cheese will not be harmful, but eating large amounts can have some negative effects on your cholesterol levels.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is the used term to refer to the fat-like, waxy substance that has important functions in our bodies, like:

Help with making cell membranes

Producing several hormones

Producing vitamin D

Cholesterol is made up of spherical particles known as lipoproteins, they are in charge of transporting fat in the body. They can be grouped into low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL).

What are the differences between LDL and HDL?

Usually, LDL is seen as bad cholesterol as it helps with the formation of plaque accumulation in the arteries, which increases the chances of heart attack and stroke. Meanwhile, HDL

helps to get rid of LDL accumulation in the arteries, which is the reason why it is known as good cholesterol.

High levels of LDL may be prejudicial to your health, and you should keep its levels below 70 mg per dl, to reduce the chances of a heart attack. To lower LDL levels is recommended to:

Exercise regularly

Stick to a healthy diet, with low saturated fat intake

Quit smoking

The same recommendations apply to increasing HDL levels.

What are the normal cholesterol levels?

According to the people’s age, cholesterol should be limited to certain levels to avoid unwanted symptoms. A healthy amount of cholesterol should be under 200 mg/dl for adults; whenever cholesterol levels are higher than 200 mg/dl they need to be controlled ASAP to prevent stroke or heart attack.

When cholesterol is tested, LDL and HDL levels also need to be reported.

Levels	HDL	LDL
Normal	60 mg/dl or higher	Less than 100 mg/dl
Borderline high	41-59 mg/dl	130-159 mg/dl
High	Less than 40 mg/dl	160-189 mg/dl

As you can tell, HDL levels are better to keep at higher levels, this is because they are in charge of removing LDL accumulation from the arteries.

When is it considered a dangerous cholesterol level?

When higher levels of cholesterol are exhibited, the heart may be the most affected organ, as that high blood cholesterol can cause a hardening of the arteries, reducing blood flow to and from the heart, which can slow down your heart, or even block it.

How can you tell if your cholesterol is high?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to know if your cholesterol is at normal levels, as symptoms are not commonly shown. Most of the time, you can notice your abnormal cholesterol levels until emergency events occur, like a heart attack or stroke.

The only way to know whether your cholesterol levels are high is through blood tests. It is recommended to take one after you are 20 years old, if everything is normal, you will need to recheck it every 4 to 6 years, to prevent any emergency events.

Is diet important to keep normal cholesterol levels?

Diet plays a major role in keeping your cholesterol levels normal, this can be achieved with a meal plan that contains foods that help keep your heart healthy. Not only is diet important, but regular exercise can also help keep your cholesterol low.

Although there are some recommended foods, it is always best to check with a specialist about the best diet to keep your cholesterol low, and also meet your nutrition needs.

What can you eat with high cholesterol?

To control your cholesterol levels, you need to limit your saturated fat intake, because it has been proven that LDL levels can increase after consuming foods rich in saturated fat, such as:

Dairy products

Chocolate

Baked goods

Fried food

Processed food

Margarine

Crackers

French fries

Also, foods high in cholesterol can increase the chances of having a heart attack or a stroke, these foods are:

Egg yolks

Shrimp

Organ meats

As feta cheese contains 25 mg per ounce, it is considered a food high in cholesterol, and its consumption needs to be controlled.

If you want further guidance on this subject, please click here.

Other FAQs about Feta Cheese that you may be interested in.

Can you eat feta cheese with IBS

Can you eat feta cheese with mold

Can you eat feta cheese without cooking?

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we have addressed the query, “can you eat feta cheese with high cholesterol?” We have also discussed other queries related to the subject at hand, that may be important to know to fully understand this condition.

Hope you found this blog useful. If you have any questions, please let us know.