The first thing to understand is that dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol are not exactly the same thing.
Dietary cholesterol is cholesterol found in foods, mainly from animal sources such as eggs, meat, milk, butter, and seafood.
Blood cholesterol is the amount of cholesterol circulating in your body, including HDL (“good”) and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and is a direct determinant of your risk of heart disease.
Consuming foods high in cholesterol does not necessarily increase blood cholesterol. Instead, saturated fat intake and overall diet play a larger role in influencing LDL cholesterol levels. Therefore, your doctor will check your blood cholesterol through regular blood tests to assess your heart disease risk, not just based on what you eat.
Where does dietary cholesterol come from?
Dietary cholesterol comes mainly from foods such as:
- Red and processed meats (sausages, hamburgers, bacon, etc.)
- Eggs
- Whole dairy products (full-fat milk, butter, cream)
- Seafood (shrimp, crab, clams, snails)
Although eggs and seafood are high in cholesterol, they are low in saturated fat. When not fried or prepared with butter and oil, these foods can be considered quite healthy in a balanced diet.
According to recommendations, dietary cholesterol is no longer strictly limited as it was in the past. The main goal is to keep cholesterol intake as low as possible while still ensuring adequate nutrition.
How much cholesterol can you eat each day?
Current guidelines do not impose a specific number for the maximum daily cholesterol intake as they used to (formerly 300 mg/day). Instead, the emphasis is on maintaining an overall healthy diet that is low in saturated fat, sugar, and sodium, and high in fiber, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
For example, a large egg contains about 200 mg of cholesterol. If your overall diet is rich in plant foods, low in bad fats, and you do not have high blood cholesterol, eating one egg a day may be perfectly acceptable.
For healthy people:
- Eating whole eggs every day or so does not significantly increase your risk of heart disease.
- Older adults with stable blood cholesterol can also eat two eggs a day.
It is important not to eat eggs with foods high in saturated fat, such as sausage, bacon, or fried in butter.
Daily healthy eating tips
To build and maintain a heart-healthy diet and control cholesterol, you can apply some of the simple tips below to your daily routine:
1. Prioritize fresh and natural foods
Choose fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and nuts instead of processed foods.
Green vegetables, broccoli, carrots, apples, oranges, bananas and berries are great sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber that help lower cholesterol naturally.
2. Choose healthy fats
Replace saturated fats (butter, animal fats) with healthy unsaturated fats from olive oil, avocados, chia seeds, walnuts and fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel.
Limit fried foods, grilled with lots of oil or served with fatty sauces.
3. Increase fiber every day
Supplement fiber from many sources such as: green vegetables, whole fruits, beans, oats and whole grains.
Fiber not only helps reduce cholesterol but also aids digestion and keeps you full for a long time, effectively controlling your weight.
4. Drink enough water and limit sugary drinks
Make sure to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day to support digestion and metabolism.
Avoid carbonated soft drinks, industrial juices and drinks high in sugar because they increase triglycerides and the risk of obesity.
5. Control your food portions
Learn to listen to your body and stop eating when you feel about 80% full.
Avoid eating too quickly or eating a lot in the evening to reduce the burden on the digestive system.
6. Diversify foods and balance nutrition
Do not focus on a certain food group but eat a variety to ensure your body receives enough essential nutrients.
Incorporate healthy proteins (fish, white meat, tofu), good fats and complex carbohydrates in every meal.
7. Limit salt and sugar
Cut down on salt to control blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. Reduce sweets, candy, soft drinks and fast foods that cause visceral fat accumulation and increase bad cholesterol.
