Cholesterol Intake Limit Calculator

About this calculator

Dietary cholesterol guidance has historically centered on a 300 mg per day limit for the general population, tightened to 200 mg per day for people at higher risk of heart disease, figures that trace back to earlier editions of the US Dietary Guidelines and long-standing American Heart Association guidance. The 2015-2020 US Dietary Guidelines removed the specific numeric cap, reflecting evolving research on how much dietary cholesterol actually affects blood cholesterol compared to saturated fat, but many clinicians and heart-health organizations still counsel limiting intake for at-risk patients.

This calculator does not diagnose or replace clinical advice; it simply compares a number you enter against these commonly cited reference limits, which is a useful way to sanity-check where a day's eating falls, particularly for anyone tracking cholesterol-heavy foods like egg yolks, shellfish, and organ meats.

Enter your health status and current daily cholesterol intake, and this calculator shows how much room you have left against the 300mg standard guideline or the stricter 200mg limit for higher-risk individuals.