If you're thinking about having an omelet for breakfast, take a minute to plan the rest of your day's diet first. Eggs contain a sizable amount of cholesterol, but small servings are manageable for most healthy people if they fill the rest of the day's menu with cholesterol-free veggies, passing on high-cholesterol items such as meat, milk or baked goods containing eggs. If you aren't sure what your cholesterol levels are, see your doctor for a test and consultation.
Identification
Cholesterol comes from animal source foods such as eggs, meat and dairy products. All of an egg's cholesterol is contained in the yolk, the yellow part suspended inside the egg white. While your body needs cholesterol to produce certain hormones, too much cholesterol can lead to clogged arteries. According to the American Heart Association, your body makes most of its own cholesterol; only about 25 percent of your body's supply comes from food.
Cholesterol Content
One egg contains approximately 213 mg of cholesterol. The American Heart Association notes that the daily recommended limit is 300 mg for people with healthy blood cholesterol levels. If your doctor has already discovered you have high cholesterol, your limit is even lower---about 200 mg of cholesterol per day.
Effects
When your body gets too much cholesterol, whether from dietary sources or an overproduction of the cholesterol your body makes on its own, you're at risk for heart disease. According to Hongbao Ma, a researcher at Michigan State University, an excess of cholesterol in your bloodstream can harden into plaque in your arteries or blood vessels. When your arteries get thicker and harder, it's harder for blood to reach your heart. If a blood clot gets stuck in your narrowed artery and blocks all bloodflow to the heart, you'll suffer a heart attack.
Egg Alternatives
If you want to cook with eggs but need to cut down on your cholesterol, you still have plenty of options. Dr. Thomas Behrenbeck, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, suggests you use only egg whites in your favorite egg-based dishes. Free of cholesterol, egg whites can create light, fluffy omelets if you use two eggs whites for every whole egg your recipe calls for. Behrenbeck notes you can also use egg substitutes, to the tune of ¼ cup for every egg in your recipe.
Considerations
If you enjoy eating eggs but worry about your cholesterol, keep in mind that eggs have some important health benefits, too. According to the Harvard Heart Letter, eggs contain protein, healthy unsaturated fat and nutrients that have been linked to preserving your vision and your memory. The letter also notes that although eggs do affect your cholesterol level, they have no direct effect on heart disease. If your body is able to process the cholesterol from your diet successfully without passing much into your bloodstream, eggs may pose few, if any, health risks for you. Talk to your doctor about your current cholesterol level to find out how closely you should be monitoring your cholesterol intake.
References
- American Heart Association: About Cholesterol
- MayoClinic.com: Eggs: Are they good or bad for my cholesterol?
- American Heart Association: Common Misconceptions about Cholesterol
- "The Journal of American Science"; Cholesterol and Human Health; Hongbao Ma; January; 2006
- Harvard Health Publications: Egg Nutrition and Heart Disease: Eggs aren't the dietary demons they're cracked up to be
