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Cholesterol is essential for the normal function of the body. Nonetheless, when its level in the blood rises beyond the normal range it causes health complications, including heart disease. One of the causes of high serum cholesterol is consumption of diet that is high in cholesterol. Therefore, avoiding or reducing the intake of high cholesterol foods is one way to maintain normal serum cholesterol level. It should be noted however the same high cholesterol food stuffs are also good sources of other essential nutrients such as protein, fatty acids, macro- and micro-nutrients, and carbohydrates.
In the following table is a list of cholesterol food sources and their corresponding cholesterol content (mg of cholesterol per 100 grams of food portion). They represent the food sources highest in cholesterol content from among approximately 850 food items analysed by the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory.
| Cholesterol food source |
Cholesterol content in mg/ 100 g food portion |
| Egg, yolk, raw, fresh |
1234.9 |
| Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, simmered |
561.2 |
| Egg, whole, cooked, fried |
456.5 |
| Chicken, broilers or fryers, giblets, cooked, simmered |
442.1 |
| Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled |
424.0 |
| Egg, whole, raw, fresh |
424.0 |
| Egg, whole, cooked, poached |
422.0 |
| Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried |
381.2 |
| Egg, whole, cooked, scrambled |
352.5 |
| Turkey, all classes, giblets, cooked, simmered, some giblet fat |
289.0 |
| Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, canned |
251.6 |
| Braunschweiger (a liver sausage), pork |
179.9 |
| Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, cooked, breaded and fried |
177.8 |
| Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, cooked, breaded and fried |
176.5 |
| Fast foods, hush puppies |
173.1 |
| Fast foods, english muffin, with egg, cheese, and canadian bacon |
170.8 |
| Cake, sponge, prepared from recipe |
169.8 |
| Fast Foods, biscuit, with egg and sausage |
167.8 |
| Fast foods, croissant, with egg, cheese, and bacon |
166.7 |
| Crustaceans, crab, blue, crab cakes |
150.0 |
| Veal, leg (top round), separable lean and fat, cooked, braised |
134.1 |
| Eclairs, custard-filled with chocolate glaze, prepared from recipe |
127.0 |
| Fast foods, shrimp, breaded and fried |
122.0 |
| Turkey, all classes, neck, meat only, cooked, simmered |
121.7 |
| Pork, fresh, spareribs, separable lean and fat, cooked, braised |
121.2 |
| Spinach souffle |
117.6 |
| Pork, fresh, backribs, separable lean and fat, cooked, roasted |
117.6 |
| Pork, fresh, shoulder, arm picnic, separable lean only, cooked, braised |
114.1 |
| Danish pastry, fruit, enriched (includes apple, cinnamon, raisin, lemon, raspberry, strawberry) |
114.1 |
| Veal, rib, separable lean and fat, cooked, roasted |
110.6 |
| Pork, fresh, shoulder, arm picnic, separable lean and fat, cooked, braised |
109.4 |
| Poultry food products, ground turkey, cooked |
102.4 |
| Crustaceans, crab, blue, cooked, moist heat |
100.0 |
| Fish, pollock, walleye, cooked, dry heat |
96.5 |
| Chicken, broilers or fryers, dark meat, meat only, cooked, fried |
96.4 |
| Pork, fresh, leg (ham), whole, separable lean only, cooked, roasted |
94.1 |
| Pork, fresh, leg (ham), whole, separable lean and fat, cooked, roasted |
94.1 |
| Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat and skin, cooked, fried, batter |
93.0 |
| Pork, fresh, loin, center loin (chops), bone-in, separable lean and fat, cooked, pan-fried |
91.8 |
| Pork, fresh, loin, center loin (chops), bone-in, separable lean only, cooked, pan-fried |
91.8 |
| Ice creams, french vanilla, soft-serve |
90.7 |
| Beef, ground, 80% lean meat / 20% fat, patty, cooked, broiled |
90.6 |
| Beef, ground, 85% lean meat / 15% fat, patty, cooked, broiled |
90.6 |
| Chicken, broilers or fryers, light meat, meat only, cooked, fried |
90.5 |
| Beef, ground, 75% lean meat / 25% fat, patty, cooked, broiled |
89.4 |
| Duck, domesticated, meat only, cooked, roasted |
89.1 |
| Crustaceans, crab, blue, canned |
88.9 |
| Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat and skin, cooked, fried, flour |
88.8 |
| Fish, salmon, sockeye, cooked, dry heat |
87.1 |
| Pie, pecan, prepared from recipe |
86.9 |
| Breakfast items, french toast with butter |
85.9 |
| Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat and skin, cooked, fried, batter |
85.0 |
| Chicken, stewing, meat only, cooked, stewed |
82.9 |
| Turkey, all classes, meat only, cooked, roasted |
75.7 |
| Fast foods, clams, breaded and fried |
75.7 |
| Fish, haddock, cooked, dry heat |
74.0 |
| Fast foods, cheeseburger, regular, double patty, plain |
71.0 |
| Potato salad, home-prepared |
68.0 |
| Fish, flatfish (flounder and sole species), cooked, dry heat |
67.7 |
| Chicken, canned, meat only, with broth |
62.0 |
| Eggnog |
59.1 |
| Sandwiches and burgers, cheeseburger, large, single meat patty, with bacon and condiments |
56.9 |
| Fast foods, chili con carne |
53.0 |
| Cheese, ricotta, whole milk |
50.8 |
| Fast foods, cheeseburger, regular, double patty and bun, plain |
50.0 |
| Fast foods, hamburger, regular, double patty, with condiments |
47.9 |
| Fast foods, salad, vegetable, tossed, without dressing, with cheese and |
45.2 |
| Fast foods, hotdog, with corn flour coating (corndog) |
45.1 |
| Fast foods, cheeseburger, large, single patty, with condiments and vegetables |
40.2 |
| Sandwiches and burgers, hamburger, large, single meat patty, with condiments and vegetables |
39.9 |
| Cheese sauce, prepared from recipe |
37.9 |
| Milk, canned, condensed, sweetened |
34.0 |
| Fast foods, taco |
33.1 |
| Cheese, ricotta, part skim milk |
30.9 |
| Shake, fast food, vanilla |
23.1 |
Cholesterol data adapted from USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18 (2005).
Cholesterol related articles:
"How low should LDL cholesterol be lowered?"
LDL cholesterol lowering and atherosclerosis
Phytosterol content in food
Cholesterol free foods
Fat related articles:
List of foods high in saturated and total fat
List of foods high in omega 3 fatty acids (unsaturated fat)
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