Since nearly all tissues of the body have the ability to produce cholesterol from saturated fat, dietary cholesterol is defined as coming from the food we eat. It is found in meat, poultry, seafood and dairy products. Egg yolks and organ meats are high in cholesterol. Shrimp and crayfish are somewhat high in cholesterol. Chicken, turkey and fish contain about the same amount of cholesterol as do lean beef, lamb and pork. Plants don't produce cholesterol, so foods and oils coming from plants are cholesterol free.
Cholesterol gets a bad rap because it is necessary for the formation of cell membranes and the synthesis of essential compounds such as bile acids and steroid hormones. In fact the body makes enough cholesterol to maintain itself. Therefore, dietary cholesterol is surplus cholesterol - cholesterol that the body does not need.
The relationship between dietary cholesterol and the concentration of blood cholesterol is not linear. For every additional 100mg of cholesterol consumed up to a total intake of 500mg per day, there is a 2-3% increase in the concentration of blood cholesterol. In contrast further increases in cholesterol intake beyond 500mg per day have little additional effect on the blood level. It has been estimated that if cholesterol intake is greater than 500mg per day, a reduction in intake to 250mg per day will reduce blood total cholesterol by 5-7% which may be predicted to translate into a 10% reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease.
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