Cholesterol is a natural substance produced by your body that circulates in your blood. You also get cholesterol from the foods you eat. Too much cholesterol increases your risk for stroke, heart attack and vascular diseases. One way to control your cholesterol is to be aware of the cholesterol content in the foods you eat every day and know if a better choice is available.
Dairy
A single, 1-cup serving of whole milk contains 33 mg of cholesterol. If you are watching your cholesterol intake, a better alternative would be low-fat milk with 10 mg of cholesterol, or skim milk with just 4 mg of cholesterol. Another dairy product with high amounts of cholesterol is cheddar cheese, with 300 mg per 1-oz. serving.
Fats and Oils
Not all oils and fats are high in cholesterol. Since cholesterol is only made by animals, products like vegetable oil, olive oil and vegetable shortening are naturally cholesterol free. Fats like butter, with 11 mg of cholesterol per tsp. and lard, with 195 mg per cup, have both fats and cholesterol.
Meats
All animal products have some amount of cholesterol content. However, leaner alternatives are better when watching your cholesterol levels. Chicken liver has one of the highest amounts of cholesterol, with 631 mg per 3.5-oz. serving. Beef liver, with 389 mg per serving seems almost healthy in comparison. A single egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol, and one serving of shrimp contains 194 mg. If you want a leaner alternative, consider tuna and salmon, each with less than 63 mg of cholesterol per serving and ham, which contains just 53 mg of cholesterol per serving.
Recommended Foods
If your physician is concerned about your cholesterol levels and wants you to avoid high-cholesterol foods, you may want you to consider incorporating into your diet foods that actually lower your cholesterol. Oatmeal and other high-fiber foods reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Walnuts and almonds are rich in natural polyunsaturated fats, which reduce blood cholesterol levels. Olive oil contains antioxidants that lower the level of bad cholesterol.
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