Expert: Todd Bublitz, RCEP - 5/18/2007

Question
what are the dietry requirements of cholestrol?

Answer
Aqeel Khan,

The American Heart Association recommends that the average healthy person eat no more than 300 mg a day of cholesterol, and that persons with cardiovascular disease, and those at high risk of cardiovascular disease, eat less than 200 mg a day.

This is from the American Heart Association website:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4488

"People get cholesterol in two ways. The body — mainly the liver — produces varying amounts, usually about 1,000 milligrams a day. Foods also can contain cholesterol. Foods from animals (especially egg yolks, meat, poultry, fish, seafood and whole-milk dairy products) contain it. Foods from plants (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds) don't contain cholesterol.

Typically the body makes all the cholesterol it needs, so people don't need to consume it. Saturated fatty acids are the main culprit in raising blood cholesterol, which increases your risk of heart disease. Trans fats also raise blood cholesterol. But dietary cholesterol also plays a part. The average American man consumes about 337 milligrams of cholesterol a day; the average woman, 217 milligrams.

Some of the excess dietary cholesterol is removed from the body through the liver. Still, the American Heart Association recommends that you limit your average daily cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams. If you have heart disease, limit your daily intake to less than 200 milligrams. Still, everyone should remember that by keeping their dietary intake of saturated fats low, they can significantly lower their dietary cholesterol intake. Foods high in saturated fat generally contain substantial amounts of dietary cholesterol."

I hope this answers your question.

Todd