Food and Cholesterol 101

By Mindy Hermann, R.D.

Because a high blood cholesterol level increases your risk of heart disease, it’s important to keep it in check. Although many foods contain cholesterol, lowering your blood cholesterol level involves more than simply eating less cholesterol. It is the combination of dietary saturated fat and dietary cholesterol in your meals that causes blood cholesterol to rise. To have the most success at lowering your blood cholesterol, watch the amount of saturated fat in your diet and limit high-cholesterol foods.

Which foods are lowest in dietary cholesterol? While all animal proteins, including lean meats and poultry, contain some cholesterol, the foods highest in cholesterol are egg yolks, liver, and shellfish, such as shrimp. The good news is plant foods, such as grains, vegetables, and fruits, have no cholesterol. For heart health, plan your meals around small portions of lean meats, poultry, and fish and a variety of grains, vegetables, and fruits.

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