You should eat less than 200 mg of cholesterol per day even for persons with elevated cholesterol. Less than 7% of your calories should be from saturated or trans fat. Just because the cholesterol in the food you eat contains 200 milligrams per day, does not mean that 200 milligrams will stay in your blood. Your liver uses cholesterol to make bile that breaks down fats, seeds, and skins as well as make some hormones you need.
Not all the cholesterol in your blood comes from the cholesterol you eat. In fact, your liver knows how to make cholesterol and does so depending on your body’s need for cholesterol based substances like hormones and bile. Some researchers have proven that blood cholesterol is fueled more by liver produced cholesterol than cholesterol from food.
If your LDL (low-density lipoprotein) which is generally considered the “bad” cholesterol is high, then I would recommend that you exercise and substitute monounsaturated fats like olive oil and peanut oil for the fats you currently use. Your weight is appropriate for your height and you have a healthy BMI so you don’t need to adjust your calorie intake, just the kind of fats you eat.
If you are unsure contact a registered dietitian. If you don’t have a dietitian, please call your doctor, local hospital or medical clinic and ask for a referral.
