Nutrient table · IFCT 2017 · ICMR-NIN 2020
Cholesterol content of Indian foods
Per 100 g, whole egg carries the most cholesterol in IFCT 2017 at 366 mg, followed by chicken liver at 268 mg and squid at 231 mg. Red snapper comes next at 132 mg, and many meats, poultry and fish sit between 64 and 107 mg. Plant foods contain none. The ICMR-NIN 2020 summary note sets no daily cholesterol figure.
What cholesterol does, and where Indian diets stand
Cholesterol is a waxy fat the body uses to build cell membranes and to make vitamin D, bile and hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone. The liver makes most of what the body needs, so there is no dietary requirement for it. Food cholesterol comes only from animal foods; plants carry none, whatever a cooking oil label may suggest.
What raises blood cholesterol in most people is less the cholesterol in food than saturated and trans fat, excess weight, inactivity and genes. Heart disease tends to strike Indians at a younger age than many other populations, so blood cholesterol is worth knowing. Some people respond more strongly to food cholesterol, and those with diabetes, high LDL or existing heart disease are usually advised to keep egg yolks and organ meats moderate.
This table lists dietary cholesterol per 100 g for the 55 animal foods in IFCT 2017 with a measured value: egg, meat, poultry, fish and shellfish. Whole egg leads, with chicken liver and squid next. This data set has no cholesterol figures for milk, paneer, khoa or ghee, so dairy foods are not ranked here, although as animal fats they do contain some.
All 55 foods ranked by cholesterol
Per 100 g of the edible portion, highest first.
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Cholesterol content of Indian foods. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/nutrients/cholesterol/
Cholesterol requirements for Indians
The ICMR-NIN 2020 summary note sets no daily cholesterol figure, because the body makes its own and there is no minimum need from food. Nor does that summary give an upper number, and this page does not invent one.
For people with high LDL cholesterol, diabetes or heart disease, a doctor or dietitian may suggest a limit on egg yolks, organ meats and shellfish, alongside cutting saturated and trans fat. Follow that personal advice over any general table.
From a table to a plate
Values are per 100 g of raw, edible food. A single egg weighs well under 100 g, so it carries less than the 366 mg shown, and all of that cholesterol sits in the yolk. Cooking does not remove cholesterol, but frying in ghee or butter adds saturated fat on top of it. Shellfish such as squid and prawns are high in cholesterol but very low in fat, so their effect on blood cholesterol is usually smaller than the figure suggests.
- Healthy adults can usually include an egg a day; people with diabetes or heart disease should ask their doctor.
- Choose skinless chicken and fish more often than mutton, pork or organ meats.
- Cook meat and eggs with a little oil rather than in ghee, butter or vanaspati.
- Fill most of the plate with plant foods, which carry no cholesterol and bring fibre that helps lower blood cholesterol.
- If yolks are limited, egg whites can be eaten freely, as the white carries protein but no cholesterol.
- Keep fried snacks, bakery items and sweets made with vanaspati as occasional treats.
What people ask about cholesterol
Which Indian food has the most cholesterol?
In IFCT 2017, whole egg leads at 366 mg per 100 g, then chicken liver at 268 mg and squid at 231 mg. Red snapper, octopus and pigeon follow at 132 mg, 118 mg and 107 mg.
Do vegetarian foods contain cholesterol?
Plant foods such as grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, nuts and vegetable oils contain no cholesterol at all. Dairy foods do carry some, as all animal fats do, though this table has no figure for them.
Are eggs bad for cholesterol?
For most healthy people, an egg a day has only a small effect on blood cholesterol, and each egg's cholesterol sits in the yolk. People with diabetes, high LDL or heart disease should agree an egg limit with their doctor.
Is prawn high in cholesterol?
Big prawns have 87 mg per 100 g and tiger prawns 71 mg in IFCT 2017, similar to country chicken at 88 mg and mutton at 82 mg. Squid is higher at 231 mg. Prawns are very low in fat, so how they are cooked matters more than the prawns themselves.
Related reading and tables
Calories (energy) content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Protein content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Total fat content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Carbohydrate content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Calcium content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Iron content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Magnesium content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.