Worst Food for Arterial Plaque

Saturated Fats

If you eat meat and other animal products, you are adding saturated fat to your diet and may potentially increase your levels of unhealthy LDL cholesterol and risk of arterial plaques. As the name suggests, saturated fats are solid fats that usually come from animal sources. Foods containing saturated fat include beef, lamb, pork, lard, skin of poultry, dairy products such as whole-fat milk, cream, butter and high-fat cheese. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that some plant fats such as palm oil, coconut oil and butter are also saturated fats. The CDC recommends that saturated fats should only make up 10 percent of your total daily calories.

Trans Fats

Trans fats are synthetically made from the process of hydrogenation, or adding hydrogen molecules to vegetable oil, and are used in many processed and packaged foods to keep them fresh longer. Although that might sound appealing, MayoClinic.com warns that trans fats are more harmful than saturated fats as they not only increases LDL, but also decrease healthy HDL, cholesterol. This raises your risk of arterial plaques, atherosclerosis and heart disease. The American Heart Association warns that trans fats should only make up less than 1 percent of your daily diet. Many convenience and packaged foods such as fried foods, cakes, doughnuts, pastries, biscuits, cookies, margarine, crackers, microwave popcorn and pies contain this fat.

Dietary Cholesterol

Your liver produces cholesterol, which is an important part of the structure of every single body cell and also found in the bloodstream. However, consuming excess dietary cholesterol can increase your risk of high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Foods such as eggs, cheese, butter, milk, fish, poultry and meat all contain cholesterol. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises that adults should keep their daily dietary intake of cholesterol below 300 milligrams.

Sugar

Eating too much sugar has been linked to diabetes, excess weight gain and tooth decay, but it may also be bad for your arteries and heart. The University of Southern California notes that too much sugar in your diet can raise blood levels of an unhealthy fat called triglycerides. These fats can accumulate on the artery walls causing plaques and increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Foods such as sweets, soda and juices are high in added refined sugar. The National Health Service recommends limiting your intake of added sugars to 10 percent of your total daily calories.