How much cholesterol per day should you eat?

While cholesterol gets a bad rap, it’s essential for your health and well-being. The American Heart Association (AHA) explains that your body needs cholesterol for building cells, vitamins, and hormones. 

Not all cholesterol is created equal, though, with some types being better for your health than others.

There are three main types of cholesterol: 

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL): Also called “bad cholesterol,” LDL may increase the risk of atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of fat in your arteries that narrows and hardens them. In turn, this increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. 
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL): Celebrated as “good cholesterol,” HDL helps move LDL to your liver for breakdown and may improve heart health. 
• Triglycerides: These are fats in the blood. If you have high LDL and/or low HDL levels, high levels of triglycerides may also contribute to atherosclerosis.

The measurements for high blood cholesterol levels are: 

• Total cholesterol: 240 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or higher
• LDL: 160 mg/dL or higher — 190 mg/dL is very high
• Triglycerides: 200 mg/dL or higher — 500 mg/dL is very high

Your body can produce all the cholesterol it needs on its own. Dietary cholesterol doesn’t add to these numbers, but other types of fats in your diet may raise your blood levels, potentially leading to health challenges. 

How much cholesterol per day for someone with high cholesterol?

If you’ve had your cholesterol levels checked and the results have come back as high, you may wonder if you should limit how much cholesterol you eat. A 2021 review suggests dietary cholesterol may not affect blood cholesterol levels much. 

Instead, the AHA recommends focusing on how much saturated and trans fats you eat each day.

Saturated and trans fats in food may raise your LDL cholesterol and your risk of heart disease.

If you live with high cholesterol, saturated fats should make up no more than 5–6% of your daily energy intake — the total calories you eat in a day.

For a female eating 2,000 calories per day, this equals about 11–13 grams (g) a day of saturated fat. The upper limit for males eating 2,500 calories is around 16.5 g per day.

Common sources of saturated fats include: 

• fatty cuts of meat 
• processed meats
• high fat dairy products 
• baked goods
• fried foods
• palm oil
• butter and cream

Trans fats are a type of saturated fat. The AHA advises eating as little as possible.

Trans fats are in foods like: 

• fried foods
• baked goods
• foods that say “hydrogenated oil” on the label

Not all fats are bad for heart health. Unsaturated fats can help improve your cholesterol levels.

The AHA suggests replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats whenever you can. You can get unsaturated fats from:

• fatty fish, like salmon
• nuts and seeds
• avocado
• nonhydrogenated vegetable oils, like extra virgin olive, canola, and peanut oil

Checking a food’s nutritional label can help you track how much cholesterol, saturated, and trans fats you eat each day.

How much cholesterol for someone with typical levels?

As explained above, research does not suggest that dietary cholesterol affects blood cholesterol levels much, and there are no official guidelines on how much dietary cholesterol to eat.

If your cholesterol levels are within range, you can try to limit saturated and trans fats as much as possible to reduce the risk of increasing those levels.

Fat content in your favorite foods

Here are the approximate amounts of cholesterol, saturated, and total fat in some common foods: 

Cholesterol is only found in animal products. It is not in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains.

Remember, a food’s content of saturated and trans fats may be more relevant to heart health than how much cholesterol it contains. 

If you need help covering the cost of medications, the free Optum Perks Discount Card could help you save up to 80% on prescription drugs. Follow the links on drug names for savings on that medication, or search for a specific drug here.

How to treat high cholesterol

You can help improve your cholesterol through various lifestyle changes like:

• getting regular exercise, at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity
• maintaining the recommended weight for your age and height
• not using tobacco
• managing stress levels
• limiting saturated and trans fats in your diet to about 5–6% of total caloric intake
• eating more fiber, fruit, vegetables, and fatty fish
• eating plant stanols and sterols (phytosterols)

If your levels are chronically high, a healthcare professional may also recommend cholesterol-lowering medications like:

• Statins: These are also called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Statin medications limit your body’s own production of cholesterol and boost how much LDL your liver breaks down. They include:
  • rosuvastatin (Crestor)
  • atorvastatin (Lipitor)
  • fluvastatin (Lescol XL)
  • lovastatin (Altoprev)
• Cholesterol absorption inhibitors: By reducing the absorption of dietary cholesterol, these drugs increase LDL receptors in the liver to lower LDL levels. An example is ezetimibe (Zetia).
• Bile acid sequestrants: In the digestive system, these medications bind to bile acids, which contain cholesterol. This means your body cannot reabsorb it, which causes LDL levels to drop.
  • colesevelam (Welchol)
  • cholestyramine (Prevalite)
  • colestipol (Colestid)
• PCSK9 inhibitors: PCSK9 is an enzyme that limits how much LDL your body removes from the blood. By blocking this enzyme, PCSK9 inhibitors help lower LDL levels. Examples include:
  • evolocumab (Repatha)
  • alirocumab (Praluent)
• Niacin: This B vitamin may help lower LDL and triglycerides and increase HDL in some people. Niacin is not a primary treatment and may not be recommended for every person.

Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on some prescription medications.

Summary

There are no official guidelines on how much or little cholesterol you should eat each day. Recent research suggests there may not be a significant link between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol levels. 

Instead, you can limit your saturated fat intake, avoid trans fats as much as possible, and prioritize unsaturated fats.

Lifestyle factors like a nutrient-dense diet and regular exercise can effectively lower cholesterol levels. A healthcare professional may also recommend medications.