How Much Cholesterol Should One Eat?

Most people in this day and age know that too much cholesterol is not good for you. But do you know how much is too much? It's useful knowledge, since having high cholesterol levels puts you at risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

Where Does Cholesterol Come From?

• Our bodies produce cholesterol naturally. The amount is dependent on genetics. Cholesterol is not inherently bad. It's needed for various bodily functions. But too much can be unhealthy. The liver and other cells in our bodies make about 75 percent of blood cholesterol. The other 25 percent comes from our diet in the form of saturated fat, trans fats and dietary cholesterol.

Cholesterol Recommendations

• Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). The American Heart Association established a healthy range for low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is known as the "bad" cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats). But for simplicity's sake, we'll just examine the total cholesterol level measurement.

  How much should your daily dietary intake of cholesterol be? There's a healthy level, a borderline and a high cholesterol level.The American Heart Association recommends the following:

  - Less than 200 mg/dL is considered healthy.

  - 200 to 239 mg/dL is borderline high cholesterol.

  - 240 mg/dL and above is an unhealthy cholesterol level.

  Men and women vary significantly in how much they eat each day. Both, however, are over the recommended limit. The average American male eats about 360 mg of cholesterol every day. That's nearly twice what is recommended. The average American woman eats about 240 mg on average.

Cholesterol in Food

• Now, let's put this all in perspective. Here's how easy it is to reach your healthy daily limit:

  - One egg puts you at your daily limit, with about 210 mg of cholesterol.
  - Even a 3.5-ounce portion of skinless chicken is 85 mg, nearly half your daily limit.
  - Pork chops and lean ground beef are 85 mg and 78 mg respectively.

  This may sound completely hopeless. How can eating one egg be unhealthy? How can one piece of meat be nearly half of my daily limit of cholesterol? Well, one factor left to be examined is foods that actually lower your cholesterol. Eat these foods to help counter some of your favorite cholesterol-laden items:

  - Whole grains
  - Oatmeal
  - Legumes (beans)
  - Get your daily fiber requirements with whole and natural foods, like fruits and vegetables
  - Garlic

  These are just a few foods that can counteract the cholesterol produced by your body or the cholesterol you eat on a daily basis. A balanced diet is the key to enjoying many different foods without guilt or the worry of damaging your health.