While cholesterol is necessary for vitamin D and bile production, too much cholesterol can be dangerous. You should consume less than 200 mg per day of dietary cholesterol to manage your heart health. With this in mind, it is more important than ever to be mindful of cheese cholesterol levels, as just a few servings of high-fat cheeses can exceed this recommended daily amount.
Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
Your body makes more than enough saturated fat to keep it healthy. It does not need more from food sources from animal products that include cheese, milk and ice cream. Saturated fats raise your cholesterol by elevating low-density lipoproteins that carry cholesterol from the liver to the rest of your body. When you have too much LDL in your blood, it will build up as plaque that can narrow your arteries, restrict blood flow and break apart to cause heart attacks and strokes. When it comes to cheeses, stick with cheeses that are low in saturated fat, helping to lower your LDL or "bad" cholesterol.
Top of the List
Whole-milk ricotta cheese, a main ingredient in savory Italian dishes, like lasagna, is high in saturated fat, with 20 g in a 1 cup serving, that provides more than 100 percent of your recommended daily intake. Its high saturated fat levels make ricotta cheese high in cholesterol. A 1-cup serving of this type of cheese contains between 101 and 125 mg of cholesterol depending on the source, more than one-half of your recommended daily intake for cholesterol, which puts it at the top of a list for cheeses with cholesterol.
High-Cholesterol Cheeses
Many cheeses with a creamy texture are also high in cholesterol, even in small portions. A 1 oz. serving of cheddar cheese contains 32 mg of cholesterol, 1 cup of cottage cheese contains 32 mg, and 1 oz. of feta contains 30 mg. It is important to keep in mind that these small portions contain more than 15 percent of the recommended daily amount.
Lower-Fat Cheese Counterparts
Cheeses that are low in fat tend also to be low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Your best bet to keep cholesterol levels low is to choose reduced-fat or fat-free versions of cheeses. For example, while 1 oz. of cheddar cheese contains 32 mg of cholesterol, 1 oz. of its low-fat counterpart contains just 6 mg. Likewise, a 1 tbsp. serving of cream cheese contains 16 mg of cholesterol, while 1 oz. of the fat-free version contains 1 mg.
