Dietary sources

                                                                 Dietary Sources

• Dietary cholesterol is a fat-like substance. 
• Cholesterol is found in animal foods. Animal foods include meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and milk products.
• Cholesterol is a part of your body cells. It helps your body to make certain hormones that you need.
• Eating too much cholesterol can increase the cholesterol in your blood. 
• Too much cholesterol in your blood can increase your risk for heart disease. 
• Eating high amounts of saturated fats and trans fats may also have this effect.

                                      

• If you do not have heart disease, eat less than 300 milligrams (mg) of dietary cholesterol per day.
• If you have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease aim for less than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol per day.
• Egg yolks are the highest source of dietary cholesterol.
• Choose foods with healthy fats, limit foods high in saturated fat, and avoid foods with trans fat.
• “Good” fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—lower disease risk. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish.
• “Bad” fats—saturated and, especially, trans fats—increase disease risk. Foods high in bad fats include red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream, as well as processed foods made with trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil.

TOP FOOD SOURCES OF CHOLESTEROL

Ranking	Food item	%	Cumulative %
1	Eggs and egg mixed dishes	24.6	24.6
2	Chicken and chicken mixed dishes	12.5	37.1
3	Beef and beef mixed dishes	6.4	43.6
4	Burgers	4.6	48.2
5	Regular cheese	4.2	52.4
6	Sausage, franks, bacon, and ribs	3.9	56.3
7	Other fish and fish mixed dishes	3.4	59.7
8	Grain-based desserts	3.3	63.0
9	Dairy desserts	3.2	66.3
10	Pasta and pasta dishes	3.1	69.3
11	Pizza	2.9	72.2
12	Mexican mixed dishes	2.9	75.1
13	Cold cuts	2.7	77.8
14	Reduced fat milk	2.5	80.3
15	Pork and pork mixed dishes	2.3	82.6
16	Shrimp and shrimp mixed dishes	2.0	84.6