Having high cholesterol means you have too much of a fatty substance known as cholesterol in your blood. Over time this can build up in the blood vessels causing blockages and preventing proper blood flow.

For this reason having high cholesterol is a major risk factor for medical emergencies such as strokes and heart attacks.

There are several potential factors that can increase your risk of high cholesterol. These include whether you exercise regularly and if you smoke as well as genetics.

However, diet is one of the most important factors. Certain foods are known to increase cholesterol levels while others can lower them.

With this in mind, one expert spoke with Express.co.uk about foods to avoid if you are at risk of or already have high cholesterol.

According to Rosie Martin, registered dietitian at Plant Based Health Professionals, foods containing saturated fats are the worst culprit for causing high cholesterol.

“You are more at risk of high cholesterol if you eat lot’s of foods containing saturated fat,” she said.

For this reason she warned against eating seven specific foods.

Rosie said: “These include animal products like meats, cheeses, creams and butter, and highly processed foods like cakes, biscuits, pastries as well as many ready meals and takeaways.

“Saturated fat can block receptors on the liver that take cholesterol out of the blood and break it down.

“With less cholesterol being broken down, it can build up and result in complications.”

This advice is backed by advice from the NHS. The health body says: “Eating too much saturated fats in your diet can raise ‘bad’ low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in your blood, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.”

Government guidelines state that:

• Men should not eat more than 30g of saturated fat a day
• Women should not eat more than 20g of saturated fat a day
• Children should have less.

Rosie also advised on foods that can help lower your cholesterol.

“You are also more at risk of a high cholesterol with low intake of foods high in fibre,” she explained.

“Fibre is exclusive to plant foods, and so these include whole grains such as oats and brown rice, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and high-protein meat alternatives like soya and beans.

“Eating a higher fibre diet is linked to a lower body weight, lower blood pressure and a lower cholesterol.

“When you eat fibre-rich plants, you also gain other healthy components such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, resulting in a lower risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

“Certain fibres, for example beta glucan in oats and barley, form a gel in your bowel which binds to cholesterol and stops it being reabsorbed into the blood, therefore lowering your circulating levels of cholesterol.”

According to the NHS, a healthy level of total cholesterol in the blood is below 5mmol/L.

If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels you should speak to your GP.