EXPLORE A NUTRIENT
Cholesterol
Discover how amounts vary across foods, on a shared basis for comparison.
Understand this nutrient ↓What is it?
Chemical reference: cholesterol (C27H46O). USDA reports Cholesterol separately. [1] [2]
An identity reference, not the appearance of the food.
Description, source and attribution
Reference depiction: cholesterol. Formula C27H46O; PubChem CID 5997; charge 0. This is a chemical reference, not a depiction of its physical appearance in food.
PubChem Compound 5997, 2D Structure. NCBI / National Library of Medicine. Source · Reuse terms
Source check:
A COMMON BASIS
Foods, per 100 g
170 foods with data 36 not reported, excluded from ranking
- Egg
Whole egg, hard-boiled.
373 mg - Squid
Mollusks, squid, mixed species, cooked, fried, exactly as identified by USDA.
260 mg - Unsalted butter
Butter, without salt, exactly as identified by USDA.
215 mg - Shrimp
Mixed-species shrimp, cooked with moist heat; may contain moisture-retention additives.
211 mg - Northern lobster
Crustaceans, lobster, northern, cooked, moist heat, exactly as identified by USDA.
146 mg - Canned sardines
Atlantic sardines canned in oil, drained solids with bone.
142 mg - Gouda cheese
Cheese, gouda, exactly as identified by USDA.
114 mg - Venison
Game meat, deer, cooked, roasted, exactly as identified by USDA.
112 mg - Cream cheese
Cheese, cream, exactly as identified by USDA.
101 mg - Brie cheese
Cheese, brie, exactly as identified by USDA.
100 mg - Cheddar cheese
Cheddar cheese; sodium reflects the source product.
100 mg - Oysters
Mollusks, oyster, Pacific, cooked, moist heat, exactly as identified by USDA.
100 mg
All results are sorted before pagination. Bars compare amounts within this search; they do not indicate health benefits. Not reported does not mean zero.
UNDERSTAND THE DATA
What it means for your diet
The source explains cholesterol in the body, blood and diet. A food amount is not a blood test result. Plant sterols are separate USDA identities: cholesterol guidance must not be treated as a plant-sterol dose or a claim that one form has the same effects.
Ranking amounts describe foods, not supplement doses. A high rank does not mean you should consume more. Source recommendations and cautions retain their original population and scope.
Cholesterol [1]
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Original health-topic summary, reproduced with attribution.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. Cholesterol is also found in foods from animal sources, such as egg yolks, meat, and cheese.
If you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can combine with other substances in the blood to form plaque. Plaque sticks to the walls of your arteries. This buildup of plaque is known as atherosclerosis. It can lead to coronary artery disease, a condition in which your coronary arteries become narrow or even blocked.
What are HDL, LDL, and VLDL?
HDL, LDL, and VLDL are lipoproteins. They are a combination of fat (lipid) and protein. The lipids need to be attached to the proteins so they can move through the blood. Different types of lipoproteins have different purposes:
- HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. It is sometimes called "good" cholesterol because it helps your body get rid of cholesterol. It carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. Your liver then removes the cholesterol from your body.
Identity and structure sources
- PubChem Compound 5997: Cholesterol · Accessed 2026-09-13
- USDA FoodData Central: Foundation Foods Documentation · Accessed 2026-09-13