Dietary cholesterol comes only from animal sources such as the fat in dairy products, egg yolks, meats, poultry and seafood. Vegetables oils, vegetable, fruits and grains do not contain cholesterol. Health professionals recommend that consumption of dietary cholesterol be limited to 300 mg. per day. Cholesterol in your body is a soft, fat like substance found in all of your body's cells. It is important to good health because it is used to form cell membranes, some hormones and other needed tissues.
Cholesterol comes from two sources.
It is made by your body, mostly in the liver. It is also found only in foods from animals. Even though the liver removes some dietary cholesterol from the body, dietary cholesterol can raise your blood cholesterol level, increasing your risk for heart disease. That is why the American Heart Association recommends limiting the cholesterol you eat to no more than 300 milligrams per day on average. Blood lipoproteins carry cholesterol to and from the body's cells.