7 Foods to Avoid When Taking Crestor

Crestor and its generic form, rosuvastatin belong to a class of medications known as statins. They are prescribed to reduce LDL cholesterol.

LDL cholesterol is commonly referred to as “bad cholesterol.” It’s important to keep high cholesterol under control to reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke. However, medication alone is not enough to lower your cholesterol. You also need to follow a healthy diet, which means there are certain foods to avoid when taking Crestor.

Here is an overview of seven foods to avoid when taking Crestor or its generic rosuvastatin calcium.

Common Foods to Avoid When Taking Crestor

If you’re prescribed Crestor or rosuvastatin, it is important to avoid foods that are high in fat or cholesterol. Specifically, you should avoid saturated or trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils), according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Common foods to avoid when taking Crestor include:

• Baked goods
• Butter
• Fatty or processed meats
• Fast food
• Fried food
• Full-fat dairy foods
• Tropical oils

Baked Goods

Pastries, pie crusts, packaged cookies, donuts, and cakes typically contain trans fats. These foods should be avoided if you’re taking a statin like Crestor for high cholesterol.

Butter

Butter contains both saturated fat and trans fats, so you should avoid it if you’re taking Crestor for high cholesterol. Consider replacing butter with olive oil or a plant-based or vegetable-based spread to eliminate unhealthy hydrogenated oils.

Fatty or Processed Meats

Beef, lamb, pork, and poultry with the skin on it should all be avoided if you’re taking rosuvastatin calcium or Crestor. Likewise, processed meats such as bacon, sausages, or hot dogs should be avoided if you take medication for high cholesterol.

Fast Food

Fast food is never particularly healthy, but it’s especially bad for you if you’re taking Crestor or its generic to lower bad cholesterol. Incidentally, consuming fast food also puts you at increased risk for diabetes and obesity.

Fried Food

Fried foods, including fried meats and cheeses, should be avoided if you’re being treated for high cholesterol. You should also limit or avoid potato chips and crackers. Fried foods often contain trans fats, along with being high in calories.

Full-Fat Dairy Foods

Full-fat dairy products should be limited if you’re taking Crestor to lower LDL cholesterol. Full-fat dairy products contain saturated fat. Saturated fats prompt your liver to produce more bad cholesterol so you should restrict your intake of full-fat cheeses and ice cream. Instead, aim for low-fat or fat-free yogurts, and reduced-fat cheeses such as cottage cheese, or part-skim mozzarella.

Tropical Oils

Tropical oils include coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kern oil, all of which are high in saturated fat. These oils should be avoided if you’re taking a statin for high cholesterol. Instead look for heart-healthier alternatives such as canola, flaxseed, olive, peanut, rice bran, sesame, soybean, or sunflower oils.

Why should certain foods be avoided with Crestor?

Certain foods, particularly trans fats have a strong link to coronary heart disease. In fact, the FDA determined that removing trans fats from processed foods could prevent thousands of heart attacks and deaths per year. If you require medication for high cholesterol, you’re already at increased risk for heart disease. So, it is very important to be mindful of what you’re eating.

Talk to Your Health Care Provider

If you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol, talk with your health care provider about a healthy diet and exercise program. They will be able to advise you on how you can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels to prevent a heart attack or stroke.

The American Heart Association also has a downloadable Heart-Check Food Certification Program, that lists hundreds of foods that are AHA certified to meet the criteria for heart-healthy foods. Be sure to check back frequently, as the list is updated monthly.