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ORGANIZATIONS
American Obesity Association. 1250 24th Street, NW, Suite
300, Washington, DC 20037. 800-98-OBESE (800-986-
2373).http://www.obesity.org.
Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Public Health Service, 5600 Fishers
Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.http://www.fda.gov.
Weight-control Information Network (WIN). National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Dis-
eases. 1 Win Way, Bethesda, MD 20892-3665. 877-946-
- 202-828-1025.http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
health/nutrit/win.htm.
Samuel D. Uretsky, PharmDDietary cholesterol
Definition
Cholesterol is a soft, white, waxy substance found
in the lipids of the bloodstream and in the cells of the
body. There are two sources of cholesterol. The first is
the body, mainly the liver, which produces typically
about 1g per day. The second are cholesterol-containing
foods from animal sources, especially egg yolks, meat,
poultry, fish, seafood and whole-milk dairy products.
This is the cholesterol called dietary cholesterol, because
it is obtained from the diet.PurposeCholesterol is found in every cell of the body and
it has several important functions in maintaining
health such as:
keeping cell membranes intact
boosting mental performance
helping digestion
building strong bones
building muscle
maintaining energy, vitality, and fertility
regulating blood sugar levels
repairing damaged tissue
protecting against infectious diseases
However, excess cholesterol has been shown to
accumulate in the bloodstream and on the walls of
arteries, forming ‘‘plaques’’ that can clog the blood
vessels (atherosclerosis) and lead to heart attacks and
strokes. Because high blood cholesterol is one of the
major risk factors for heart disease, dietary cholesterol
has been the focus of much debate over what representsDietary cholesterolFood Cholesterol (mg)
Beef liver, cooked, 3 oz 331
Beef sweetbreads, cooked, 3 oz. 250
Squid, cooked, 3 oz. 227
Egg, whole, large 212
Shrimp, cooked, 3 oz. 166
Ice cream, gourmet, 1 cup 90
Salmon, baked, 3.5 oz. 87
Lamb chop, cooked, 3 oz. 75
Chicken breast, cooked, 3 oz. 72
Beef, round, cooked, 3 oz. 71
Beef, sirloin, cooked, 3 oz. 71
Pork chop, cooked, 3 oz. 71
Chicken, dark meat, cooked, 3 oz. 70
Beef, rib eye, cooked, 3 oz. 65
Ham, regular, cooked, 3 oz. 50
Tuna, water packed, drained, 3.5 oz. 42
Milk, whole, 1 cup 33
Butter, 1 tbsp. 31
Ice cream, light, 1 cup 31
Cheese, cheddar, 1 oz. 30
Scallops, cooked, 3 oz. 27
Hot dog, beef, 1 frank 24
Cheese, reduced fat, 1 oz. 6
Yogurt, part skim, 1 cup 6(Illustration by GGS Information Services/Thomson Gale.)Dietary cholesterol