Fat Guide
Cholesterol explained: dietary vs. blood cholesterol
Eating cholesterol and having high blood cholesterol are related, but not in the direct one-to-one way many people assume.
Dietary cholesterol is the cholesterol found in food — eggs, shellfish, organ meats. Blood cholesterol is what's measured in a lipid panel (LDL, HDL, triglycerides) and is influenced by many factors, with your liver producing most of your body's cholesterol regardless of diet. For most people, dietary cholesterol has a smaller effect on blood cholesterol than saturated and trans fat intake does.[1]
Why this matters for fat intake
Cholesterol is also the raw material your body uses to build steroid hormones like testosterone and estrogen — one more reason very low-fat diets can backfire on hormone production. See our piece on the hidden risks of very low-fat diets for the full picture.
Keep reading: Saturated vs. unsaturated fat · Risks of very low-fat diets · What fat actually does