I am a bit stunned by argument for consuming cholesterol by cholesterol-promoterscholesterol-and-health.com because the body makes all the cholesterol it needs (about a gram a day)and a dietary amount is unnecessary.(1) For this reason, I'm not sure I can bring myself to call the lipid a nutrient.
While it is true that cholesterol-rich foods such as eggs may be considered good for the body and could even reduce risk heart disease, these benefits are not attributed to their cholesterol amounts, but to other nutrients that come with the cholesterol.(2)
From what I can gather, the only real reason for seeking out dietary cholesterol is if a person has a genetic disorder that would interfere with the body's own cholesterol production.(3)
References
1. American Heart Association. Cholesterol. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4488. Accessed on November 1, 2008.
2. Harvard's School of Public Health. Nutrition Source: Eggs and heart disease. Available at: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/eggs/index.html. Accessed on November 1, 2008.
3. University of Utah Genetic Science Learning Center. Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome. Available at: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/disorders/whataregd/slos/. Accessed on November 1, 2008.
