About 10% of American adults have high cholesterol, making it a common health issue. But high cholesterol is potentially dangerous and raises your risk of heart disease and stroke.
High cholesterol means having total cholesterol levels above 240 mg/dL, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, there are two main forms of cholesterol: LDL “bad” cholesterol, which can stick to the walls of your arteries and narrow blood vessels and HDL “good” cholesterol, which helps to collect excess cholesterol from your arteries and shuttles it to your liver to be removed from your body, according to the CDC.
If your healthcare provider diagnoses you with high cholesterol, they’ll likely urge you to take the next steps to bring your levels back down. That usually means making dietary changes to cut back on certain foods, while ramping up your intake of others. One food that tends to fall on the chopping block? Cheese.
Related: This Is the Worst Type of Cheese for Heart Health, According to a Cardiologist
“Cheese is high in saturated fat, which can raise LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol,” says Keri Gans, RDN, author of The Small Change Diet. “Over time, elevated LDL levels can increase the risk for heart disease.” But that doesn’t mean you absolutely need to swear off cheese forever if you have high cholesterol. “The extent to which someone actually needs to watch intake may be a lot more individual and depend upon a variety of factors such as predisposition towards cardiovascular disease and overall diet patterns,” says Jessica Cording, RD, the author of The Little Book of Game-Changers.
Still, there’s one popular cheese in particular that’s a good idea to scale back on if you have high cholesterol, according to dietitians.
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Which Popular Cheese Is the Worst for Your Cholesterol?
Sorry, soft cheese fans: It’s Brie.
“Brie is a rich, creamy cheese that’s higher in saturated fat, so it’s best kept as an occasional treat,” saysTara Gidus Collingwood, RDN, a sports nutrition consultant and owner of Tara Gidus Nutrition Consulting. Again, saturated fat can increase LDL cholesterol levels, raising the risk of developing high cholesterol.
“The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends keeping saturated fat intake to less than 6% of daily calories, which comes to around 13 grams for someone on a 2,000-calorie diet,” Cording says.
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Brie contains 7.5 grams of fat per ounce, and nearly five grams of those are saturated fat. Most people eat more than an ounce of Brie at a time, which means you could easily have more than the recommended amount of saturated fat in one sitting with Brie. “Its soft texture and mild flavor can also make it easy to eat more than you realize,” Gans points out.
Collingwood says it’s OK to have a “small wedge” here and there. “But frequent or large portions can add up quickly in terms of cholesterol impact,” she says.
Related:Here’s What Happens to Your Body if You Eat Cheese Every Day
Other Cheeses That Aren’t Great for Cholesterol
Cording recommends being wary of soft, creamy cheeses. “Creamy cheeses in general tend to be high in saturated fat,” she points out. “Triple creams and processed cheese spreads other examples of creamy cheeses high in saturated fat.”
Processed cheeses like American cheese and cream cheese can add even more saturated fat and sodium to your diet, both of which aren’t great for your cardiovascular health, says Beth Warren, RD, CDN, founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Living Real Life with Real Food.
Related: ‘I’m a Cardiologist, and This Is the One Type of Cheese (Yes, Cheese) I Swear by for Heart Health’
How To Enjoy Cheese When You’re Watching Your Cholesterol
It’s still possible to have cheese when you’re watching your cholesterol. “Portion size really matters,” Collingwood says. “Stick to about an ounce and go for lighter options like part-skim mozzarella, feta, or goat cheese.”
Cording suggests trying to eat a balanced diet, too. “Aim to make unsaturated fats like olive oil and olives, avocado and avocado oil and nuts and seeds the majority of your fat intake, but you can still enjoy some cheese,” she says. “Because fiber, specifically soluble fiber, has been found to help lower LDL cholesterol, pairing cheese with fiber-rich foods like veggies, high-fiber fruit, nuts, beans, or whole grains can help you enjoy it in a balanced way.”
When you eat cheese, Warren just recommends savoring it. “Focus on mindful portions—a little really does go a long way.”
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Sources:
- Beth Warren, RD, CDN, founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Living Real Life with Real Food
- Jessica Cording, RD, the author of The Little Book of Game-Changers
- Keri Gans, RDN, author of The Small Change Diet.
- Tara Gidus Collingwood, RDN, a sports nutrition consultant and owner of Tara Gidus Nutrition Consulting
- High Cholesterol Facts, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- LDL and HDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Saturated Fat, American Heart Association
- Brie Cheese, United States Department of Agriculture
