Cholesterol is a lipid, meaning it is a fat. Everyone tells you when trying to lose weight avoid items high in cholesterol, saturated fats, or Trans fats. This is somewhat true. You need cholesterol! Cholesterol is what makes hormones, vitamin D, and bile (this helps your body use and digest fat that comes with the food you eat). Imagine life without cholesterol, we would all have weak bones, and any fat we consumed would go straight to our thighs. Cholesterol is beautiful!
Now before you get too excited and reach for that greasy (and probably cholesterol filled) hamburger, you do need to limit your cholesterol intake. One egg a day provides just the right extra amount of cholesterol (300 mg daily) to maintain the perfect health and not gain any weight. Each day your liver alone produces 1,000 mg of cholesterol, so you just need a tad more. If you consume too much cholesterol you may experience things like heart disease. If you have any risk factors for heart disease it is recommended you decrease your cholesterol intake per day to 200 mg per day.
To decrease your cholesterol intake, avoid these foods: beef, pork, lamb, egg yolk, turkey, duck, goose, and fish oil. Generally the foods highest in cholesterol are those the highest in protein (meats). Vegetables and fruits have no cholesterol. An ideal meal would be a vegetable stir-fry with a small amount of meat in it. Find the perfect balance of cholesterol for you and you will have a healthy heart.
