Cholesterol: List of Foods High in Cholesterol Content
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). The list represents the top 100 food sources highest in cholesterol content from among approximately 7500 food items common in the American diet and analysed by the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory.
Rank | Cholesterol food sources | Cholesterol content in mg/ 100 g food portion |
---|---|---|
1 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, simmered | 3100.00 |
2 | Veal, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, braised | 3100.00 |
3 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, brain, raw | 3010.00 |
4 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, braised | 2552.00 |
5 | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, pan-fried | 2504.00 |
6 | Egg, yolk, dried | 2335.00 |
7 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, brain, raw | 2195.00 |
8 | Veal, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, pan-fried | 2120.00 |
9 | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, braised | 2043.00 |
10 | Egg, whole, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced | 2017.00 |
11 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, pan-fried | 1995.00 |
12 | Egg, whole, dried | 1715.00 |
13 | Veal, variety meats and by-products, brain, raw | 1590.00 |
14 | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, brain, raw | 1352.00 |
15 | Egg, yolk, raw, fresh | 1234.00 |
16 | Egg, yolk, raw, frozen | 1075.00 |
17 | Egg, yolk, raw, frozen, sugared | 959.00 |
18 | Egg, yolk, raw, frozen, salted | 955.00 |
19 | Egg, turkey, whole, fresh, raw | 933.00 |
20 | Egg, duck, whole, fresh, raw | 884.00 |
21 | Egg, goose, whole, fresh, raw | 852.00 |
22 | Egg, quail, whole, fresh, raw | 844.00 |
23 | Veal, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, cooked, braised | 791.00 |
24 | Fish oil, herring | 766.00 |
25 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, cooked, simmered | 716.00 |
26 | Fish oil, sardine | 710.00 |
27 | Fish, caviar, black and red, granular | 588.00 |
28 | Egg substitute, powder | 572.00 |
29 | Fish oil, cod liver | 570.00 |
30 | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, cooked, braised | 565.00 |
31 | Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, pan-fried | 564.00 |
32 | Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, simmered | 563.00 |
33 | Fish oil, menhaden | 521.00 |
34 | Duck, domesticated, liver, raw | 515.00 |
35 | Goose, liver, raw | 515.00 |
36 | Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised | 511.00 |
37 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, spleen, cooked, braised | 504.00 |
38 | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised | 501.00 |
39 | Fish oil, menhaden, fully hydrogenated | 500.00 |
40 | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried | 493.00 |
41 | Fish oil, salmon | 485.00 |
42 | Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried | 485.00 |
43 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, cooked, braised | 480.00 |
44 | Fish, roe, mixed species, cooked, dry heat | 479.00 |
45 | Egg, whole, cooked, fried | 457.00 |
46 | Veal, variety meats and by-products, spleen, cooked, braised | 447.00 |
47 | Chicken, broilers or fryers, giblets, cooked, fried | 446.00 |
48 | Chicken, broilers or fryers, giblets, cooked, simmered | 442.00 |
49 | Fish, whitefish, eggs (Alaska Native) | 439.00 |
50 | Chicken, capons, giblets, cooked, simmered | 434.00 |
51 | Egg, whole, raw, frozen | 432.00 |
52 | McDONALD'S, Scrambled Eggs | 427.00 |
53 | Fast foods, egg, scrambled | 426.00 |
54 | Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled | 424.00 |
55 | Egg, whole, raw, fresh | 423.00 |
56 | Egg, whole, cooked, poached | 422.00 |
57 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, raw | 411.00 |
58 | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, cooked, braised | 400.00 |
59 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised | 396.00 |
60 | Pate, chicken liver, canned | 391.00 |
61 | Moose, liver, braised (Alaska Native) | 389.00 |
62 | Turkey, liver, all classes, cooked, simmered | 388.00 |
63 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, lungs, cooked, braised | 387.00 |
64 | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, spleen, cooked, braised | 385.00 |
65 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried | 381.00 |
66 | Fish, roe, mixed species, raw | 374.00 |
67 | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw | 371.00 |
68 | Chicken, gizzard, all classes, cooked, simmered | 370.00 |
69 | Veal, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, raw | 364.00 |
70 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, spleen, raw | 363.00 |
71 | Chicken, roasting, giblets, cooked, simmered | 357.00 |
72 | Egg, whole, cooked, omelet | 356.00 |
73 | Chicken, stewing, giblets, cooked, simmered | 355.00 |
74 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised | 355.00 |
75 | Egg, whole, cooked, scrambled | 352.00 |
76 | Veal, variety meats and by-products, thymus, cooked, braised | 350.00 |
77 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, spleen, cooked, braised | 347.00 |
78 | Chicken, liver, all classes, raw | 345.00 |
79 | Veal, variety meats and by-products, spleen, raw | 340.00 |
80 | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, raw | 337.00 |
81 | Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw | 334.00 |
82 | Turkey, liver, all classes, raw | 331.00 |
83 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, lungs, raw | 320.00 |
84 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, raw | 319.00 |
85 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, stomach, cooked, simmered | 316.00 |
86 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, cooked, braised | 315.00 |
87 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw | 301.00 |
88 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, thymus, cooked, braised | 294.00 |
89 | Chicken, capons, giblets, raw | 292.00 |
90 | Turkey, all classes, giblets, cooked, simmered, some giblet fat | 289.00 |
91 | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, lungs, cooked, braised | 284.00 |
92 | Turkey, all classes, giblets, raw | 282.00 |
93 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, chitterlings, cooked, simmered | 277.00 |
94 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, lungs, cooked, braised | 277.00 |
95 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw | 275.00 |
96 | Fish, whitefish, dried (Alaska Native) | 266.00 |
97 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, spleen, raw | 263.00 |
98 | Veal, variety meats and by-products, lungs, cooked, braised | 263.00 |
99 | Chicken, broilers or fryers, giblets, raw | 262.00 |
100 | Beef, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, cooked, braised | 262.00 |
Cholesterol related articles:
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)
Cholesterol data adapted from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 20 (2007).