Abstract
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that individuals should minimize their dietary cholesterol intake. However, current dietary cholesterol intake and its food sources have not been well-characterized. We examined dietary cholesterol intake by age, sex, race, and food sources using 24-h dietary recall data from a nationally representative sample of 5047 adults aged 20 years or older who participated in NHANES (2013–2014 survey cycle). We also reported trends in cholesterol intake across the past seven NHANES surveys. Mean dietary cholesterol intake was 293 mg/day (348 mg/day for men and 242 mg/day for women) in the 2013–2014 survey cycle; 39% of adults had dietary cholesterol intake above 300 mg/day (46% for men and 28% for women). Meat, eggs, grain products, and milk were the highest four food sources of cholesterol, contributing to 96% of the total consumption. Both average cholesterol intake and food source varied by age, sex, and race (each p < 0.05). Mean cholesterol intake of the overall population had been relatively constant at ~290 mg/day from 2001–2002 to 2013–2014 (p-trend = 0.98). These results should inform public health efforts in implementing dietary guidelines and tailoring dietary recommendations.
Highlights
A high intake of dietary cholesterol raises blood cholesterol levels, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease [1]
A high intake of cholesterol has been associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes [2], liver disease progression [3], and several types of cancer [4]
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Summary
A high intake of dietary cholesterol raises blood cholesterol levels, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease [1]. A high intake of cholesterol has been associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes [2], liver disease progression [3], and several types of cancer [4]. While the direct effect of dietary cholesterol intake on cardiovascular disease risk in the general population is actively debated, the direct relationship of dietary cholesterol with cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes is well-accepted [5]. In 2010, the 7th Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended no more than 300 mg/day of cholesterol for healthy populations in the United States [6]. The guidelines simultaneously stated that this change does not indicate that dietary cholesterol is no longer important to be considered, and that “individuals should eat as little dietary cholesterol as possible while consuming a healthy eating pattern”
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