Short Answer: Pizza is bad for high cholesterol. Because it has cheese and fatty meats, which are high in saturated fat and sodium, and can raise your LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.
High cholesterol is a condition that affects your blood.
In high cholesterol, your body has too much of a fatty substance called cholesterol in your blood.
This can lead to various health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.
One of the key factors in managing high cholesterol is diet.
What you consume can affect your blood cholesterol levels, which can impact your high cholesterol symptoms and overall health.
To effectively manage high cholesterol, you should consume fiber-rich foods like oats, beans, and fruits and avoid saturated fat-rich foods like butter, cheese, and fatty meats.
Now, pizza is a popular dish made of dough, tomato sauce, cheese, and various toppings. People usually eat pizza as a main course or a snack.
Pizza is bad for high cholesterol because it contains cheese and sometimes fatty meats, which are high in saturated fat.
Saturated fat can raise your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is the “bad” cholesterol that can clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease.
One slice of regular cheese pizza can give you 10.4 grams of fat, of which 4.8 grams are saturated fat, which is 24% of your daily limit.
Cheese can also increase your sodium intake, which can raise your blood pressure and worsen your heart health.
Furthermore, pizza is a high-carbohydrate food and carbohydrates can raise your blood sugar levels, which can also affect your cholesterol levels.
High blood sugar can damage the lining of your arteries and make it easier for cholesterol to stick to them.
That’s why I suggest you limit your pizza intake to prevent high cholesterol and its complications.
Stick to one or two slices of pizza per week and choose thin crust, low-fat cheese, and vegetable toppings to minimize the saturated fat and sodium content.
Also, you shouldn’t eat pizza if you have diabetes or metabolic syndrome to prevent high blood sugar and insulin resistance.
Because these conditions can also increase your risk of high cholesterol and heart disease.
You can buy fresh pizza in your local pizzeria or can order it from online.
Always choose whole wheat crust, tomato sauce, and low-fat cheese.
Because these ingredients can lower the glycemic index and the saturated fat content of your pizza.
You can store the leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Finally, remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management and essential medical care is key to managing high cholesterol effectively.
I always recommend my high cholesterol patients to follow a cholesterol-friendly diet to improve their overall well-being, and enjoy a longer and healthier life.