Drinks to Avoid with High Cholesterol

With high cholesterol, limit sugary sodas, cream-based coffee drinks and milkshakes, especially if you have them often.

These drinks can contribute added sugar or saturated fat, but they do not all affect blood lipids in the same way. For alternatives, see the best drinks for high cholesterol.

Which 8 drinks should you limit with high cholesterol?

The most useful changes depend on your usual choices and your lipid results. Saturated fat is especially relevant to LDL cholesterol, while excess sugar and alcohol are particularly important considerations for triglycerides. You do not necessarily have to eliminate every drink on this list.

1. Sugary sodas

Regular soda contains added sugar without the fiber you would get from whole fruit. Frequent consumption can make it harder to limit added sugar, and high intakes of added sugar can contribute to elevated triglycerides. That is a different concern from saying soda always raises LDL cholesterol.

If soda is a daily habit, replacing it more often with water is a practical starting point. A smaller serving or less frequent soda can also reduce your added-sugar intake.

Evidence: A 2020 editorial on sugar-sweetened drinks and lipid profiles discusses evidence linking these drinks with unfavorable lipid changes. It is not itself a clinical trial and does not prove that soda raises LDL in every person.

2. Cream-based coffee drinks

Coffee drinks made with cream, half-and-half or other high-fat dairy can add substantial saturated fat. Some also contain sweetened syrups, adding sugar as well. Saturated fat tends to raise LDL cholesterol, although the effect of a particular drink depends on its ingredients and how often you have it.

Check the milk, cream, toppings and syrup when ordering. Choose a lower-fat milk and reduce sweeteners if you want a regular coffee drink with less saturated fat and added sugar.

Evidence: The relationship between saturated fat and LDL is well established. We found no trial of a particular cream-based coffee drink.

3. Milkshakes

Milkshakes made with ice cream and whole milk can combine saturated fat with added sugar. The saturated fat matters most for LDL, while a high intake of added sugar can be a concern for triglycerides. Size and recipe can make a difference, so one milkshake will not have the same nutritional impact as every other.

Treat milkshakes as occasional desserts rather than a routine drink. If you buy one, check its nutrition information and consider a smaller size; a product marketed as a smoothie is not necessarily lower in saturated fat or sugar.

Evidence: The dietary concerns are supported by general knowledge about saturated fat and added sugar. We found no milkshake-specific cholesterol trial.

4. Sweetened tea and fruit drinks

Bottled sweet tea, fruit punch and fruit-flavored drinks can contain added sugar even when they sound lighter than soda. Frequent consumption adds to your total sugar intake and can be relevant if your triglycerides are high. Check the label rather than assuming that a fruit image or a tea ingredient means a drink is unsweetened.

Choose unsweetened versions more often, and compare added sugar on products sold as fruit drinks. 100% fruit juice is a separate category: it contains naturally occurring sugar and is not automatically equivalent to a sweetened fruit drink.

Evidence: A 2023 meta-analysis of orange juice trials found a reduction in LDL but no significant overall effect on triglycerides, total cholesterol or HDL. The authors called for better trials; this is not evidence that everyone with high cholesterol needs to drink or avoid orange juice.

5. Whole-milk and full-fat dairy drinks

Whole milk and drinks made with full-fat dairy can contribute saturated fat. That contribution adds up alongside saturated fat from the rest of your diet and may make LDL harder to lower. Flavored dairy drinks may also contain added sugar.

If you drink dairy regularly, compare the saturated fat and added sugar on the labels. Lower-fat or fat-free versions can reduce saturated fat without requiring you to give up dairy altogether. Nutritional needs differ, so ask a clinician or dietitian about a suitable choice if you have other dietary restrictions.

Evidence: Reducing saturated fat is an established approach to lowering LDL. Research has not established that every full-fat dairy drink has the same effect on cholesterol.

6. Drinks made with coconut cream or coconut milk

Coconut cream and some coconut milk drinks contain significant saturated fat, even though coconut is a plant ingredient. That saturated fat can contribute to a higher LDL level as part of the overall diet. Sweetened coconut drinks can also add sugar.

Products vary: a drink made with coconut cream can differ substantially from a packaged coconut beverage. Read the saturated-fat and added-sugar lines, and choose a lower-saturated-fat, unsweetened option when it fits your needs. Do not assume that a plant-based label means a drink is low in saturated fat.

Evidence: The concern is based on the established effect of saturated fat on LDL. We found no trial of a specific coconut drink.

7. Unfiltered coffee

Boiled coffee, French press coffee and Turkish coffee retain more coffee oils than coffee made through a paper filter. Compounds in those oils, particularly cafestol, can raise LDL cholesterol. This is a different issue from the saturated fat in cream or the sugar in flavored coffee.

If you drink unfiltered coffee regularly and are trying to lower LDL, consider switching to paper-filtered coffee. The brewing method matters even when you drink coffee black.

Evidence: The cholesterol-raising effect of coffee oils is established, but we found no trial comparing these brewing methods. The effect for an individual depends on the coffee and usual intake.

8. Alcoholic drinks

Alcohol is especially relevant when triglycerides are high: heavy alcohol use can raise them. Mixed drinks may also contain added sugar, but removing the sugar does not remove the effect of alcohol. Alcohol is not a cholesterol treatment, and you should not start drinking for heart health.

If you drink, ask your clinician whether you should limit or avoid alcohol based on your triglycerides and other health risks. Avoid alcohol during pregnancy. People with very high triglycerides may need specific medical advice about avoiding it.

Evidence: The effect of heavy alcohol use on triglycerides is established. We found no drink-specific trial showing that avoiding alcohol lowers LDL.

How can you compare drinks on labels?

Start with the serving size, then check saturated fat and added sugars. Compare the amount listed with the amount you actually drink: a container can hold more than the serving shown on its label. For a prepared drink, look at the nutrition information for the actual size and ingredients you order.

The American Heart Association recommends that people aiming to lower LDL keep saturated fat below 6% of daily calories. On a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet, that is about 13 g of saturated fat per day from all foods and drinks, not just beverages. A clinician or dietitian can help tailor that target to your needs.

Who should get medical advice about high cholesterol?

If you have high LDL, high triglycerides, diabetes, a history of pancreatitis or a family history of early heart disease, discuss your results and treatment plan with a clinician. Diet changes are useful, but they may not be enough on their own, especially when high cholesterol runs in families. If you are told your triglycerides are very high, contact your clinician promptly for specific advice.

If you take a statin, ask a pharmacist or clinician whether grapefruit juice interacts with your particular medicine; do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own. If you are pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding, ask your clinician about your medicines and diet. For a child with high cholesterol, consult a pediatrician before making major dietary restrictions.

Call emergency services for new chest pain or pressure, or severe shortness of breath. Severe, persistent upper abdominal pain, particularly with vomiting, also needs urgent emergency assessment.