Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance your body uses to make hormones, vitamin D and digestive substances, and your body makes all it needs1.
HDL carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver, while high LDL leads to plaque in the arteries1. When you eat more cholesterol, the liver makes less, absorbs less and sends more into bile, though absorption varies a lot between people5.
| Food and serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Butter, 1 tbsp | 31 mg |
| Cheddar cheese, 1 oz | 28 mg |
| Whole milk, 1 cup | 24 mg |
| Food and serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beef liver, pan-fried, 3 oz | 324 mg |
| Egg, whole, hard-boiled, 1 large | 187 mg |
| Egg white, 1 large | 0 mg |
| Shrimp, cooked, 3 oz | 161 mg |
| Ground beef, 85% lean, broiled, 3 oz | 75 mg |
| Chicken breast, roasted, ½ breast | 73 mg |
| Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, 3 oz | 54 mg |
Dietary cholesterol comes only from animal-derived foods such as eggs, offal, dairy and shellfish5. Amounts per serving from6.
Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs; animal foods add more1.
The same reference table draws the reference lines on your charts in Ayuvo. Needs differ in pregnancy and breastfeeding, which are not covered here.
Signs like these have many possible causes. They are a reason to talk to a clinician, not to self-treat.
High LDL cholesterol can build up as plaque in the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack, stroke or other health problems2.
A cholesterol blood test measures LDL, HDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides, and you may need to fast for 9 to 12 hours before it4.
| Adults 20+ | Healthy level |
|---|---|
| Total cholesterol | Less than 200 mg/dL |
| LDL | Less than 100 mg/dL |
| Non-HDL | Less than 130 mg/dL |
| HDL | 60 mg/dL or higher; below 40 (men) or 50 (women) is low |
Labs use different units and ranges. Your clinician reads a result alongside your history and other tests.
For most people, cholesterol from eggs has a relatively small effect on LDL cholesterol, because the liver makes less when you eat more. Saturated fat has a bigger effect, and how much cholesterol people absorb varies widely.
Dietary cholesterol is the cholesterol in animal foods you eat. Blood cholesterol is what circulates in your bloodstream in particles such as LDL and HDL, and most of it is made by your own body.
LDL is sometimes called bad cholesterol because high levels lead to plaque buildup in the arteries. HDL is called good cholesterol because it carries cholesterol back to the liver so the body can get rid of it.
Ayuvo charts cholesterol by day, week, month and year, with the reference lines from this page, personalised by age and sex where they differ. Supplements you log in Medications count too. Free, with no account.
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Facts on this page come from these sources, checked on the dates shown. Intake numbers come from Ayuvo's shared reference table, which cites the sources marked for them.
General information, not medical advice. This guide is for healthy adults and does not cover pregnancy, breastfeeding, children or medical conditions. It cannot diagnose or treat anything. Talk to a clinician before starting high-dose supplements, or if you think you may have too little or too much of a nutrient. Spotted an error? Email us.