A health expert has urged people to “avoid” two breakfast foods if they have high cholesterol. According to a dietitian, these popular items are among the “worst” offenders when it comes to raising cholesterol levels.

Having high cholesterol means you have too much of a fatty substance known as cholesterol in your blood. This is dangerous as, over time, it can lead to blockages, as well as causing the arteries to harden and narrow. 

High cholesterol is also a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. A major contributing factor to high cholesterol is your diet.

Writing for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), senior dietitian Tracy Parker explained: “Eating too many foods high in saturated fats can raise your cholesterol levels, particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as ‘bad’ cholesterol.

“Too much LDL cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis – the buildup of cholesterol and fatty material (plaque) in your blood vessels – which can increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes.”

You can find saturated fats are found in animal products such as processed meat and butter, as well as in some tropical oils like coconut and palm oil. Government guidelines in the UK state that men should eat no more than 30 grams of saturated fat a day and women, 20g.

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Tracy then advised on the “worst foods” for high cholesterol. She said: “These food groups contain the highest levels of saturated fat and so you should try to eat less of them if you want to lower your cholesterol levels.”

These included two foods that make up part of a full English breakfast, sausages and bacon. These are classed as processed meats, which should be “avoided” if you want to lower your cholesterol.

Talking about red and processed meat in relation to cholesterol, Tracy said: “This includes beef, lamb, and pork, as well as processed meats like sausages, bacon, salami, and pâtés. These meats are high in saturated fat, with about five to 10g per 100g serving. 

“Just one portion can provide a quarter or more of your daily limit. The recommendation is to eat no more than 70g of red and processed meat each day. That’s about one and a half pork sausages, five tablespoons of mince, or two rashers of bacon.”

The other types of food she recommended staying away from were:

• Butter, lard, and ghee
• Tropical oils
• Full-fat dairy products
• Baked goods
• Chocolate

Her advice is backed by experts at Harvard Health in the US. They advised ditching processed meat and said: “Hot dogs, sausage, and bacon use the fattiest cuts of red meat, and therefore tend to be high in cholesterol and saturated fat. 

“Bacon and sausage made with turkey or chicken might seem healthier, and they are somewhat lower in cholesterol than the red meat versions, but they’re not cholesterol-free.”

To lower your cholesterol, the NHS recommends:

• Eating less fatty food
• Exercising more
• Giving up smoking
• Cutting back on alcohol

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