What is cholesterol?

A lot of people ask their health professional "what is cholesterol?"
One of the principal misunderstandings people have is that food is
packed with cholesterol whereas in fact, very little cholesterol is
found in foods. The human body makes all the cholesterol we need
naturally. However, we also get some cholesterol from certain types of
food that we eat. Foods from animal sources such as shrimp, butter,
beef, eggs and cheese contain cholesterol in varying amounts.

What is Cholesterol Contained In?

Eggs are particularly high; one egg yolk contains almost a whole day’s
recommended cholesterol amount. The American Heart Association
recommends that we eat no more than 300 mg of cholesterol each day,
but for anyone suffering from heart disease that limit is reduced to
200 mg per day.

What is cholesterol made from?

The formation of cholesterol involves a series of complicated
biochemical reactions that begins with a 2-carbon molecule. Most
cholesterol, approximately 80 percent or about 1,000 milligrams a day,
is made in the liver, but it is also created in small amounts by cells
lining the small intestine and by individual cells in the body. It is
generally made during the times when dietary fats are not available
because they have been digested, usually about 8 hours after we have
eaten a meal.

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Low Cholesterol Foods