Ghada A Soliman

DOI: 10.3390/nu10060780

OVERVIEW:

· Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States.

· It is dietary cholesterol that has been implicated in increasing blood cholesterol levels that purportedly lead to the elevated risk of CVD.

· At present, extensive research has not shown evidence to support the role of dietary cholesterol in the development of CVD.

· This review summarizes the current literature regarding dietary cholesterol intake and CVD.

RESULT:

· The 2015⁻2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans removed the recommendations of restricting dietary cholesterol to 300 mg/day.

· Note that most foods rich in cholesterol are also high in saturated fatty acids and thus may increase the risk of CVD due to the saturated fatty acid content, except eggs and shrimp. Eggs are affordable and nutrient-dense food that contain high-quality protein with minimal saturated fatty acids (1.56 gm/egg). They are also rich in several micronutrients including vitamins and minerals.

· It is prudent to therefore include eggs in moderation as a part of a healthy eating pattern, especially when one’s intake of nutrients is suboptimal or is limited in income and food access. That will ensure dietary intake of sufficient nutrients in growing children and older adults.