There are things one should eat to stay healthy. Your diet significantly influences your risk factors for certain diseases and medical conditions. That being said there are foods to avoid.

One medical concern is high cholesterol. Your body actually needs cholesterol to work properly, but having too much can lead to heart problems. Cholesterol is a fat (also called a lipid), but too much bad cholesterol can increase the chance of getting heart disease, stroke, and other problems. The medical term for high blood cholesterol is lipid disorder, hyperlipidemia, or hypercholesterolemia, according to Penn Medicine.

Among 18- to 49-year-olds, Black people are twice as likely as white people to die from heart disease. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. African Americans, however, tend to have lower cholesterol levels than other groups, Healthline reported. Still, it is always a good idea to watch your cholesterol intake.

One cardiologist recently shared the four worst foods for high cholesterol.

1. Avoid Red meat

Burgers, ribs, and steak should be eaten in small amounts. “And by small, I mean a portion size of up to three ounces — and eat red meat at most, once a week,” advised Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods. 

Dr. Klodas, who trained at Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins, has published dozens of scientific articles throughout her career and authored a book for patients, ”Slay the Giant: The Power of Prevention in Defeating Heart Disease,″ and served as founding editor-in-chief of Cardiosmart.org.

She added that this doesn’t mean to overload on poultry.

“Remember that poultry also contains saturated fat, so avoiding red meat doesn’t necessarily mean you should load up on chicken,” she told CNBC.

Fish and shellfish are better options, she said. But watch adding too much better to your shrimp, which is already high in cholesterol.

Try White-fleshed fish like tilapia, halibut, cod, and bass.

2. Avoid fried foods

Frying food causes saturated or trans fats and cholesterol to be absorbed by the foods during the process.

Instead, bake potatoes, kale, or broccoli to a crisp if you like crunchy foods. Or use an air fryer, which uses much less fat.

3. Avoid processed meat 

“The World Health Organization has classified processed meats such as bacon, hot dogs, and salami as carcinogens. Processed meat is also loaded in sodium and saturated fat,” said Klodas.

4. Avoid baked goods 

Yes, baked goods in high amounts are also a no-no–especially store-bought baked goods.

“Mass-produced cookies, cakes, and pastries are often dense in calories, low in nutrients, and contain large amounts of fat (especially saturated fats like butter and shortening) and sugar. All of these are big culprits of high cholesterol,” explained Klodas.

Bake at home instead.

Photo by Nathan Cowley: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-gray-steel-spoon-1153370/