Cholesterol is a soft, wax-textured substance that is both produced by the liver and consumed in the food you eat. Cholesterol is required for proper functioning of the body, as it binds cells together and is used to manufacture hormones and synthesize Vitamin D from the foods you eat. However, if too much cholesterol enters your bloodstream it can cause problems such as blocked arteries. Hyperlipidemia may require medication and a change in diet to correct. Monitoring the amount of cholesterol you consume may help prevent increasing your risk of heart attack or stroke. The American Heart Association recommends that we eat no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day.
Red Meat
Organ meats from animals, such as brains, kidneys, giblets, livers and hearts, contain one to five times the full daily recommended amount of cholesterol per 100-mg serving. Chitterlings, ham hocks and pate made from duck or goose liver provide about 255 mg of cholesterol per serving. Fast food bacon-and-egg sandwiches clock in at 235 mg per serving. Bottom round steak braised has 122 mg of cholesterol. Pork spareribs, meat only, have 121 mg. The cholesterol content of dark meat chicken is about 93 mg per serving. Corned beef brisket has 98 mg, and each slice of bologna contains 23 mg of cholesterol. Smoked beef sticks sold at the counter of convenience stores have 133 mg of cholesterol per serving.
Dairy Products
One whole boiled egg contains 424 mg of cholesterol. A 100-gm serving of scrambled eggs from McDonald's has 427. Butter oil (ghee), which is commonly used in Indian cooking, has 256 mg per serving. Butter (salted or unsalted) has 215 mg of cholesterol. Cheese tends to be rather high in cholesterol, with cheddar, Port du Salut, Gruyere, cream cheese, Romano, gouda, queso anejo and goat cheese all have a minimum of 100 mg of cholesterol per serving. One slice of sausage pizza has approximately 30 mg of cholesterol. Quiche Lorraine, a tasty dish made from eggs, cream, bacon and cheese has a whopping 130 mg of cholesterol per 100-gm serving. Vanilla ice cream has up to 58 mg of cholesterol for each 1-cup serving.
Fish and Poultry
A 100 mg serving of caviar contains 588 mg of cholesterol. Canned shrimp have 251 mg, while cooked fresh shrimp and blue crab have slightly less than shrimp at 152 mg. Fried squid or calamari has 260 mg. per serving. A wing of Kentucky Fried Chicken (extra crispy) with skin and coating removed has 146 mg of cholesterol, while Popeye's brand wings have 132 mg. A KFC drumstick--either original recipe or extra crispy without the skin and coating--contains 137 mg. Sardines, canned in oil and drained, have 142 mg of cholesterol. Roasted cornish game hen (meat and skin) has 131 mg per serving.
Consideration
Ladyfinger cookies and commercial pound cake have a hefty 221 mg of cholesterol per serving. The bacon, egg and cheese biscuit fast food breakfast sandwich has anywhere between 140 and 170 mg of cholesterol (depending upon the retailer). If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels and health, the foods to avoid are beef and pork steaks and roasts, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and meatloaf, whole milk and products made from milk, processed meats like hot dogs and lunch meats, egg yolks, cheese and cheese products and baked goods like biscuits, cookies, cake and donuts.
