What is Dietary Cholesterol?

Dietary cholesterol is cholesterol that we consume through the foods we eat. It has an effect on both total and LDL cholesterol levels. A strong relationship exists between cholesterol levels and coronary disease. Dietary cholesterol is only found in foods that are animal based. Meats, poultry, cheese, butter, and full fat dairy products are some examples. It is recommended by the American Heart Association that we keep our intake of dietary cholesterol to under 300 mg per day. Consuming a diet that is whole food, plant based will drastically decrease your intake of dietary cholesterol. How many meals a day do you eat that are free from animal based products? More than likely you probably have at least one form of dietary cholesterol in every meal. If you are not ready to discard animal products completely, might I suggest having one or two meals a day that are free of this food source. It's a start in the right direction to improve your health.