Cholesterol is a substance that is naturally made by the human body, and more cholesterol is ingested in the foods humans eat. Because the average American diet emphasizes animal products, which have high cholesterol content, the accumulated cholesterol numbers can climb as we age, which in turn can increase the risk of heart attack and heart disease.
Unfortunately, excessive cholesterol doesn't produce physical symptoms by itself. You won't know you have a problem unless you have your cholesterol level measured or until you start to show signs of heart trouble. Follow the advice of the American Heart Association and limit cholesterol in your diet to less than 300 milligrams per day. If you already have a heart condition, reduce the your daily cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg.
High
Note how serving sizes and cooking methods play a part in the dietary cholesterol of foods that you eat. Organ meats have the highest concentration of saturated fat and cholesterol, with 1 cup of simmered chicken giblets containing 641 mg and turkey giblets 419. Beef liver carries a high cholesterol amount as well, especially when pan fried, at 324 mg for 3 ounces.
Among everyday foods, a double-patty fast-food hamburger has 122 mg of cholesterol, and a large raw egg has 212 mg. Potatoes, which by themselves have no saturated fat or cholesterol, end up with 170 mg of cholesterol (1-cup serving) when made into potato salad with egg-based mayonnaise. While a half a salmon fillet has only 135 mg when broiled, frying it in a tablespoon of butter can add up to 31 mg.
Medium
Leaner meats and preparations can help you keep your daily cholesterol intake under control. A 3-ounce broiled loin chop of lamb contains 85 mg, while the same preparation of pork has only 71 mg. Among fish, baked flounder (86 mg) adds more cholesterol than catfish (69 mg), orange roughy (68 mg) and haddock (63 mg).
Don't forget to add the cholesterol from saturated fat and trans fat in baked goods. One piece of pumpkin pie (65 mg), ½ cup vanilla ice cream (68 mg) and a piece of unfrosted chocolate cake (55 mg) are all reasonable choices for medium cholesterol amounts. In contrast, an eclair (127 mg) represents almost half of your daily allotment.
Low
If you're looking to cut the amount of cholesterol in foods that you eat, look for those that contain little or no saturated fat or trans fat. Two low-fat fish choices are perch (1/2 fillet) and tuna canned in water (3 ounces), with just 27 mg and 26 mg of cholesterol respectively.
Cookies and muffins make sensible snacks when servings are limited. One sugar cookie contains 4 to 5 mg of cholesterol, while a bran muffin has only 3 mg. Vanilla wafers have just 2 mg of cholesterol in low-fat varieties. For the greatest health benefits, choose bread with no trans fat and steamed or raw vegetables or fruits without added fat. These have no cholesterol at all.
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