Animal products contain cholesterol. Your body also makes cholesterol -- as much as you need. So you don't need to consume any cholesterol in order to maintain good health, and if you consume too much, you increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. To protect your heart, avoid eating foods high in cholesterol.
How Much Cholesterol to Include in Your Diet
Limit your daily intake of cholesterol to 300 mg. Keep consumption lower -- 200 mg or less -- if two or more of these risk factors for heart disease apply to you: triglyceride levels higher than 200 mg/dl, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels higher than 160 mg/dl, diabetes, high blood pressure, family history of heart disease or above-normal body mass index. You also face a higher risk of heart attack or stroke if you smoke, drink more than one or two alcoholic beverages a day or get little exercise.
Foods Very High in Cholesterol
Foods especially high in cholesterol include eggs, shrimp, squid and organ meat. A single egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol. Shrimp contains 194 mg of cholesterol in a 3½-oz. serving, while squid contains 231 mg in a 3½-oz. serving. Beef liver contains more than a full day's supply of cholesterol -- 389 mg in 3½ oz. A 3½-oz. serving of chicken liver contains more than you need in three days -- 631 mg.
Dietary Cholesterol Adds Up
If you eat a lot of red meat and whole milk dairy products, your dietary cholesterol totals can quickly add up. A ¼-lb. hamburger contains 89 mg of cholesterol. Add a slice of cheddar cheese to the burger -- 30 mg of cholesterol -- and your daily total comes to 119 mg. Drink a glass of whole milk with your meal and you add another 33 mg of cholesterol, bringing your tally to 152 mg. Eat a 6-oz. piece of prime rib for dinner -- 140 mg of cholesterol -- and a baked potato with 1 tbsp. of butter -- 33 mg of cholesterol -- and your cholesterol tab comes to 325 mg. So, even if your breakfast menu stayed heart-healthy -- no eggs, sausage or bacon -- and you didn't include a shake with your burger or eat ice cream for dessert at dinner, your daily cholesterol consumption surpassed healthy limits.
Heart-Healthy Diet
Limit dietary cholesterol, but to maintain heart health, control other foods in your diet as well. Include no more than 16 g to 22 g of saturated fat and no more than 2 g of trans fat in your daily menu. To limit saturated fat, choose lean protein such as halibut, ham, skinless chicken and beans and obtain calcium from low-fat and nonfat dairy products. To limit trans fat, substitute olive oil for margarine and shortening and check food labels before buying commercial baked goods and snacks. Limit calories from foods that contain added sugar -- regular soda and cookies, for instance -- to 5 percent to 15 percent of your daily total.
